


Escape From Eichen

by MelodramaticSalad



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Altered Mental States, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Mental Institution, Alternate Universe - No Werewolves, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Blow Jobs, Bottom Derek Hale, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Comfort/Angst, Dark Stiles, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Eichen | Echo House, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Everyone Is Alive, Everyone Needs A Hug, First Time, Forced Bonding, Gun Violence, Hurt Stiles, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Medical Experimentation, Medical Procedures, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Mild Gore, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Mind/Mood Altering Substances, On the Run, Original Character Death(s), POV Derek Hale, Past Child Abuse, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, Pining Stiles Stilinski, Protective Derek, Psychic Stiles Stilinski, Psychological Torture, Recreational Drug Use, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski Has Powers, Telekinetic Stiles Stilinski, Top Derek Hale, Top Stiles Stilinski, Tortured Stiles Stilinski, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-12 21:25:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 134,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4495290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodramaticSalad/pseuds/MelodramaticSalad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a reason why we have dreams we can't remember. What if those dreams had the possibility to show others and ourselves what our innermost desires were, even if they were completely unknown to ourselves? That is, until it was time for them to surface. It was 2018 when this new technology was first released to the public, four years ago. A company called the Eichen Corporation started up and had three very distinct things that they specialized in.</p><p>Derek Hale found himself trapped in an Eichen facility by mistake, he was completely normal, there was no reason for him to be there. One thing was for certain though, he was going to get out of this place, and he was going to take them down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to thank you all for reading this! This fic is near and dear to me because it's a revamp of an original story that I had started writing years ago and it's something that's never quite left my mind. I'm going to be updating the tags as I continue writing, and I hope you all enjoy the story! Even though the beginning is set in a mental asylum, I want to try to make it as minimally triggering as possible for you all. If there is a tag I missed, feel free to let me know. 
> 
> Tags will be updated with fic.

There's a reason why we have dreams we can't remember. What if those dreams had the possibility to show others and ourselves what our innermost desires were, even if they were completely unknown to ourselves? That is, until it was time for them to surface. It was 2018 when this new technology was first released to the public, four years ago. A company called the Eichen Corporation started up and had three very distinct things that they specialized in.

First on the list was a series of treatments that recorded and revealed dreams.

Second was the categorization of dreamers. If someone was unlucky enough to be put in the wrong category – well, that's where the third specialty came in.

Those who fell into the wrong dream categories were locked in asylums. It was there that they would receive 'treatment' for their 'desires'. And if they were deemed incurable?

Well, that's the thing, most of them are incurable. That's why the guards carry around those guns.

None of them are truly safe, not even those on the outside.

The inside of the asylum was just as steady and awful as one might expect. Of course, on the outside and on the bottom floor, Eichen did have to keep up appearances for the outside world. They gave promises of rehabilitation and returning to the outside world happy and fixed, but those inside the asylums and those that worked high up knew better than that.

The second floor was for the staff with things like storage, break rooms, and everything else they could need were housed there.

The third floor was reserved for the children. As sick as that sounded, even children were sent to Eichen asylums, but at least they had the opportunities to go home at a certain point. They'd just need to keep in touch with therapy every now and again to make sure they wouldn't need to be re-admitted once they were adults. Only, that time it would be permanent. Why parents would send their children to a place like this was a mystery.

The fourth floor belonged to those that had mild desires or had a mental breakdown. Those people usually spent a week at a time in the asylum before being sent home. _That_ floor was truly the rehabilitation floor. It was mostly used for those that needed help getting over addictions or help with coping with difficult things in their lives.

The fifth floor was reserved for where the 'therapy' took place. Lastly was the sixth floor. That's where the real dreamers were placed. On the outside, you're told that's where the potential murderers, rapists, and other horrific things like that were sent. Surprisingly though, there was a lot that one could dream about to end up on that floor. What Eichen really hid from the public was what happened to the people on the sixth floor.

Derek Hale managed to land himself there was by way of some very, very bad luck. For the outsiders wondering who he was to this place, they could just say he's a Dreamer.

Derek entered the hallway outside his assigned room and looked to the people trudging around him. Most had a blank look in their eyes and just about every single person wandering the halls looked nothing like the ones that those on the outside would expect to see.  
Quite a few of them still had that look in their eyes as they tried their best not to let this place ruin them. That hope. They were still hoping for a cure. What cure? They didn't seem to realize that once someone came here, they usually ended up dead.

"Let me go!" Derek blinked as he was drawn back into the real world, turning to look towards the elevator as the doors opened. Two guards were carrying a boy with dark brown hair that looked the age of...Wait, he only looked sixteen or seventeen at most, so why was he on this floor?  
Derek couldn't help but notice that despite the fluorescent lighting, he was wearing dark sunglasses. The boy struggled in the guards’ strong grasp and a nervous looking man in scrubs followed after them uneasily. His nose was bleeding and one of his eyes was blackened. Derek figured the boy somehow got to him.

The boy looked around the hallway as he struggled, and despite the darkness of his shades, he met Derek's stare. He stopped struggling for a minute and just stared at him, sending shivers up Derek's spine. While he was still, the guards quickly took their chance and carried him off down the hall.  
Derek frowned as he watched them disappear around the corner, wondering what that was about. Why was he looking at Derek like that?

"Morning, Derek." Derek turned his head and notified a young man at about the age of nineteen watching him. The man has light wavy hair and an exhausted look on his face. He has dark circles under his eyes that could probably be compared to the blackness of Derek's hair, and his light colored eyes now resembles dull stones. They were no longer bright and shining like that had been when the two of them first met.

"Hey, Isaac. You're still not sleeping, are you?" Isaac shook his head and looked away from him. The poor kid had basically been an insomniac for the past month; Derek figured his dreams finally got to him.  
Isaac briefly told him once about one of the more traumatic ones that he had faced, but he wouldn’t go into any real detail.

 _”I...I killed him. His blood was all over me, and it felt...It just felt so good. I don't know why, but it just did. What's happening to me, Derek?”_ Derek would never forget the look of fear in his eyes. He placed a comforting hand on Isaac's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. That was rule number one of the 'patients'. Rely on each other, because that's _all_ you have left.

Forget the family that you had out _there_. They sure as hell aren't going to be coming back for you.

Derek looked away from Isaac and back to the elevator. Who had that boy been? Derek tried to shrug it off and began walking with Isaac to look less suspicious to the guards.

"Do you want to go lay down?" Isaac shook his head at Derek's question. "You've at least been eating right?"

Isaac didn't answer, instead focusing on playing with his fingers. Derek frowned at that. "Isaac."

"You have noticed it, right?" Isaac whispered, glancing up to him.

"What am I supposed to be noticing?"

Isaac glanced around for a moment. "They put sedatives in the food. That's why therapy is after lunch, and dinner. Sometimes even breakfast." Derek had to hand it to the kid. Even when he was exhausted out of his mind, he was perceptive.

"Yeah, I've noticed. That's why I avoid some of the food. Due to 'allergies' and because I'm a 'vegetarian' too." Derek told him. "They don't put it the vegetables usually, and a few other certain things. I guess the kinds they prefer to use kill things unless it's in meat or things like that, apparently."

Isaac nodded his head and lightly bit at his lip. "You're one of the smart ones. That's a reason why I hang around you. You still have your mind." He noted, giving Derek a strained smile.

Derek couldn't help but snort a little in annoyance. "According to these assholes, none of us have our minds. To them, we're just insane little pests that need to be contained and destroyed before we get too dangerous." He scoffed, shooting a venomous look to a guard, who only returned the favor. Derek kept his gaze on him for a moment before looking back to Isaac. "Don't listen to whatever they say. You have to remember that it's only when we're at our weakest that we start to lose our minds. That's when we give them the power to control us, you can't give up. Alright?"

Isaac gave a nod and sighed softly as he rubbed his arms. "Go take a nap or something. If you sleep in between therapy sessions and eat the food without the sedatives, you'll be feeling better in no time." Derek tried to assure him.

"You know, you kind of remind me of my older brother. He...died. It was the dreams, I think. Something happened...I'm not really sure what though." Isaac rambled before trailed off, frowning as he stared off into space.

Derek nodded and ruffled his hair a little. "We have about four hours until therapy, so you should try to get at least some sleep and eat some 'clean' food. Do that for a while and you'll start feeling better." Isaac stared at Derek for a moment as if he was weighing the pros and cons in his mind before nodding and heading back to his room.

Derek decided to go to his own room and do the same. Unfortunately for Derek, when he got there, someone was waiting for him. It was the head of the doctors here. The man smiled as he sat crosslegged on the chair by the foot of Derek's bed.

"Good morning, Derek." The doctor spoke up. His name was Gerard. Just hearing his name made Derek feel sick. He had one of those faces that you would probably see on some science or medical broadcast, with a practiced smile and a calm voice. "It's been awhile since I've seen you."

Derek gave a shrug at that. "I haven't been dreaming much."

"Really now?" Gerard raised his eyebrows at that and Derek nodded. Gerard averted his gaze to his clipboard and lifted some of the papers on it. Most of them were filled with notes about Derek; he knew that for a fact. "You're one of the younger ones here. Just at the tender age of twenty-six, with a fiancé and a great job too with your whole life ahead of you...Of course, all that was until you realized what was inside of you." Derek couldn't stop himself from scoffing, causing Gerard to look up. “Do you think you've made any progress? What's on your mind?"

"Is this a monthly question? Because, after all, I keep saying the same thing. There's nothing wrong with me and it's not my choice to be here. You’re wasting your time. What's really on my mind though is what the hell are _you_ actually doing here? If you actually put your mind to it, maybe you and this company could do something actually useful for humanity." Derek stated. Gerard smiled but didn't seem to regard any of Derek's statements.

"Do you have any family, Derek?" Another stupid question.

"Of course I do." Derek replied stiffly.

"Are they aware of exactly where you are?" Derek looked at him blankly, wanting to wipe that smug look off of his face. Derek loathed, no, actually loath wasn't a strong enough word for this man. Derek wanted him gone.

"Is your family aware that you're the reason why people are being unknowingly murdered in cold blood?" He shot back.

Gerard's eyes widened a little before he regained his composure as usual, smiling as he glanced at his notes again. Bastard. "You seem to be angry."

Derek laughed mirthlessly at that. "So I should be happy waking up here every day? Knowing that any day someone could tell me that I'm 'beyond help' and I get a bullet to the back of my skull, all because I apparently have twisted dreams or something? You're really going to smile at me and say that you think I'm _just_ angry? I don't belong here."

"Well if you believe that's so, maybe running a test on you and doing a full scan could show us exactly what's really going on, and if you can go back to a normal life."

"Go back to a normal life? That's ridiculous. I've lost Kate, my job, my friends, I've lost everything. Nothing will ever be normal for me again." Derek stayed, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at the identification numbers on his wristband. "Have you ever lost something important to you?"

"Yes, I have. My youngest son, Cain. He'd be a little older than you."

"Let me guess, did he die because of this place?" Gerard went silent and Derek felt disgusted. "You even killed your own God damn flesh and blood. To think that you people actually dare call us insane? You're all nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. You strip people of everything that matters to them, lock them up because they have 'dreams' and don't even hesitate to kill them. You guys abuse your power and write everything in blood. You just give away your soul for money, and you even...you gave away your own _son_. It's disgusting. That's the difference between Dreamers and 'normal' people. We don't give up on each other or sell each other out. Dreamers know what they have and what they need to keep. People like you take what they want and get rid of their needs, even when it's someone else's life."

Gerard drummed his pen on the clipboard, pondering what Derek was saying. "You may be right."

Derek's eyes widened a little before he was able to quickly recover and hide the small pride he was feeling for having won this round. "Of course I'm right," he started before Gerard cut him off.

"Dreamers need to be tested more, and we need to observe the daily lives of all the patients." Derek stared at him in disbelief. He knew he should have expected something like this.  
"Fuck you. You're insane. Forget what I said about you having the potential to do something good. You're just a sick man." Derek snarled, glowering at him. Gerard ignored his comments, standing up and making his way past him before stopping in his doorway.

"Remember, Derek. Therapy is at six." Derek wanted to kill him, but he didn't want to prove him and the other Eichen doctors right. He had too much to lose, even though he had so much to gain from it. Derek closed the door, resisting the urge to slam it before he climbed into his bed. He wanted to break something but he couldn't let Gerard win.

"You can't have therapy if you don't get your dream." Derek mumbled, slowly closing his eyes as he let himself be taken back into the world of his dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Therapy came and went for Derek, but all it did was end with Gerard getting frustrated and shutting himself in his office to plan more 'intense' testing. Derek had to admit that it made him feel a little remorseful to the other patients here, but many of them were already too far gone. They had already lost themselves to this place ages ago, and there wasn't much left that could bring them back to the people that they used to be. 

Derek was just hoping that Isaac wasn't going to give up and become like the others, comparable to the walking dead. 

Besides, once one got into the habit of unraveling the 'secrets' of how to stay sane, it was easier to get through this place. Then again, none of this was ever easy, considering that there were two options: 

Someone could get through each and every day quickly until they got to the point where they would hardly remember anything that happens around them or at least be too pumped full of the vast selection of medications that the place had to offer.

The second option was what Derek was trying to do. To go through each and every day slowly, but keep his sanity for a much longer span of time. 

The problem with either option is that once a person started to snap from the things they've seen or the dreams they've had, then there's an even less chance of staying sane. It's almost like the first option in that way, depending on the will power one has and how long they can cope with being trapped. Unlike the people in the zombielike states, the patients that snapped would become volatile and there was only one real ending to that story.

A bullet to the back of the head.

Neither of the possibilities of surviving the sixth floor in the Eichen Hospital were what some would call 'living', but nowadays, what exactly was living?

Those outside the walls of the building know nothing about survival compared to the patients trapped inside. No one on the outside even know the truth about what happens to those patients. Least of all the family and other loved ones that practically gave them away.

Would they even care if their family member was returned? What goes through their minds as they watched a loved one get taken away by the guards? Did they feel fear? Shame? Maybe they were only feeling some kind of judgement. Thinking about that only made Derek feel bitter.

He was pretty sure that he and none of the other patients had really put a lot of thought into that subject, but then again they all had a lot of other things to think about. Like, how were they going to survive another day? Will today be their last? Would they finally be deemed 'incurable' and be slaughtered like pigs in a slaughter house?

None of them really knew for sure.

The following day, Derek ventured around the sixth floor, glancing around at everyone and the things around them for possibly the millionth time since he's arrived. It was sometimes hard for Derek to believe that he only had been locked in this place for four months. It honestly felt like it had been an eternity to him. An eternity in a seemingly never ending hell of his own.

He didn't make eye contact with many of the other patients. He found it unnerving to meet those blank, lifeless eyes, made darker by the pale complex room and dark circles under their eyes that most of the patients here had earned.

Even Derek was being affected. He didn't have the dark circles yet, but his skin was getting lighter. It was already at the point where he could see the blue of his veins on the back of his hands and even trace the lines up his forearms.

Another thing about the patients was that there was another identification process besides the wristbands they all worse. If one would look at the eyes of a patient, they probably wouldn't really notice anything out of the ordinary. However, upon much closer examination, they could see a little ring of red, dark blue, or violet around their irises. Derek had heard a few things about how the 'ring' was really just an imprint of an identification number. The Eichen Corporation must really be set on not letting any of the patients escape or go back to a completely normal life. Knowing them, it was probably just a permanent experiment and all of the people here were really nothing more than rats in an endless lab.

The Blanks, as Derek liked to mentally refer to them as, barely even noticed where they were going. Their dark eyes were glazed over as an indication that they had been drugged to the point to where they barely had a personality anymore, if there was anything even left. They didn't really focus on any details and the only place left where they could give any, was when they were having their dream therapy sessions.

Derek found it funny that for such a renowned company, most people figured that they wouldn't resort to cutting down people one by one and instead would be working on a cure to whatever this was. That, of course, was nothing more than a false hope. A cure? The thought of it almost made Derek laugh; how could there be a cure for something as wrong as this?

Dreams shouldn't have this sort of effect on people. At least, not in the way that the doctors or whoever came up with this idea think they would. If someone watches a horror movie or a slasher film, they could end up having a nightmare about it. That doesn't necessarily mean that said person would take a hatchet and follow the examples of the movie by cutting down their friends or family.

It shouldn't work that way, and it doesn't. Of course there were some very rare cases where some people would blame their crimes on video games or television violence, but more often than not, the people here were as sane as the ones that wander the open world every day. Derek would even say that some of the patients were even saner than the people out there.

Derek soon made it to the recreational room, which was sort of a false title since there wasn't really anything to do. Aside from some books, there was some art supplies, but nothing sharp and none of it could leave the room. The guards couldn't risk being jabbed with a paper clip right in their heavily protected uniforms, now could they?

That brought up another thing. What kind of sadistic bastards would take this job and be dubbed as sane, perfectly normal people? They wandered around the hallways and had a tendency to shoot innocent people. Why did _they_ get to go home and live a normal life?

Derek hated how many contradictions this place was filled with. It was nothing more than a sick, twisted little place.

He sighed through his nose and glanced around the large room, his eyes widening slightly when he saw the boy from earlier. The boy was sitting in one of the corner tables against the wall of reinforced windows, just staring outside. He was running his fingers over one of the small scratches that was left from a patient attempting to break through it in his desperation to get out. That patiently definitely got out, just in a way he didn't want.

The boy glanced over to Derek, probably having seen him through the reflection of the window. He briefly glanced around the room before nodding his head to the side as an indication that he wanted Derek to come over. Derek didn't hesitate, taking a seat across from him once he was there.

Derek was quiet for a moment as he tried to think of what to ask. "So, who are you?" He asked, trying to see through his sunglasses. Derek was curious to why he wore them, but then again, nothing here was normal.

"You know, it's only polite to give your own name first. Just saying." The boy deflected with a smile, quirking his eyebrows as Derek raised his own. Kids today…

"Right.” He finally spoke up. “I'm Derek. And you are?"

"Stiles." He replied simply, running his fingers through his locks of brown hair.

"Nice to meet you. So, about my question." Derek didn't get to finish his sentence.

"About that. Not trying to take the attention off of me because I am my favorite subject, but who are _you_ exactly? I mean, you're not like the others." Derek furrowed his eyebrow, confused to what he could mean.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you aren't like the others." Stiles replied unhelpfully with a shrug before sighing and rolling his eyes. "Not only do you still have your mind, but you don't look like quite like a Walking Dead reject either. I mean, as far as I can tell, but I haven't been wrong yet about any of this."  
"Well, when you figure out things around here, it gets a little easier." Stiles snorted and rolled his eyes.  
"It never gets easier." He pointed out, crossing his arms over the table and leaning forwards.

"That's true, but it just seems that way for a little longer. So, I hope you don't mind me asking, but," Derek started, only to be cut off again.

"I think that the 'anything goes' rule can be applied to pretty much any question you could think of for me." Derek grimaced at Stiles' interjection, jutting up an eyebrow.

"You like to interrupt a lot, don't you?" Stiles only laughed at that.

"I can't help it, I guess it's a part of who I am. Also, I like to think it’ll make this conversation go a little bit more smoothly when you know that I don't care about the possibility of being offended by whatever pressing questions you might have." Derek couldn’t tell if Stiles was just messing with him or if he was being condescending.

"I guess.” He replied stiffly. “So my question is, how long have you been here?"

Stiles leaned back in his chair, tilting his head back as he thought about it. "Since I was almost eleven."

" _Eleven_? You're kidding."

"I wish I was." Stiles snorted, staring at Derek carefully.

"How old are you now?"

"I actually just turned nineteen last month." Derek's eyes widened as he stared at Stiles in a mix of shock and disbelief.

The clock on the table lightly ticked away as nearly a minute passed before Derek could speak again, clearing his throat beforehand.

"I'm not calling you a liar, but how did you wind up here? The Eichen Corporation has only been available to the public for about two years now, right?"

"Exactly. To the public. Back when it was something that only several stretched out groups knew about, my parents had to take me there. I had night terrors ever since I was little, and I never really got better. Normal therapy obviously didn't help, so some 'experts' recommended that they bring me here so they could figure out what was wrong with me. One thing led to another..."

"And you wound up here." Stiles gave him a crooked grin.

"Seems like my habit for interrupting is contagious." He teased.

Derek frowned a little and gave a roll of his eyes. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's fine, anyways it'd be a double standard if I said that it was a bad thing, right?"

"I guess that's true. I'm sorry that you've been here that long."

"Don't be, it's not like they can really do all that much to me." Stiles pointed out, shooting a look at one of the guards while drumming his fingers on the table. He soon sighed and looked back to Derek. "So how long have you been here?"

"I'm still pretty new, only four months now." Derek felt bad thinking that he had been here for so long when in reality it was only a minuscule amount of time compared to Stiles' imprisonment.

"Wow, you’re actually perceptive. You’re figuring this much out and it’s been four months?” Stiles raised his eyebrows before letting out a low whistle. “That’s something I’m definitely not used to.”

It usually takes people at least a year or so to usually notice, and even then it's only a rare few." Derek couldn't help but feel some pride. It felt good to receive a compliment from this kid, especially since he would have to know what he was talking about. "Although, because you're a newbie, you still have things to learn about this place."

"Like what?" Derek furrowed his eyebrows. What else was there to know about this horrible place? Other than the obvious questions of things like why the company was doing this, of course. Something at the back of his mind told him that he might be better not knowing, but... "What do you mean?"

Stiles only smiled at Derek before looking back out the window. "Stiles, what do you mean?"

"Well, you really never know everything about something, right? People, places, history, even animals."

"Okay, that's kind of true, but what does this have to do with..." Derek almost growled in frustration when Stiles cut him off, a scowl on the other's face.

"It has everything to do with what I was saving. There's just a lot more that you're going to have to learn if you want to keep your sanity and survive. And if you want to get out of here alive."

Derek opened his mouth to ask Stiles a question, but quickly frowned at the sound of another voice. "So, it looks like two of my favorite patients have finally met. Derek, how are you feeling today?" Derek glared up at Gerard, tapping his foot impatiently under the table.

"Honestly, I was having a good day, and then you came along." He stated, wanting to get rid of that stupid smile, but Gerard wasn't even looking at him.

"It's time for your therapy sessions, Stiles. I heard you had problems today, so I wanted to personally escort you there myself." 

Stiles pulled on a sarcastic smile as he stretched his arms across the table. "Gee, I feel so special that you were able to take time out of your busy schedule for me." He mumbled, rolling his eyes and getting to his feet before looking back to Derek. "I'll talk to you later then."

"Alright, I'll see you later." Derek replied, glancing between the two.

 

Stiles nodded and started following Gerard out of the room before he stopped walking. He stood there stiffly for a moment before looking over his shoulder. "One more thing, Derek."

"What is it?" Derek asked, pausing in getting to his feet so he could leave.

Stiles was quiet for a moment before he shrugged a shoulder. "I'd avoid elevators if I were you."  
Derek tensed up, confused by the statement. Was that a threat? "Stiles, what do you mean?"

Stiles only smiled at him before leaving the room. Derek watched him go, swallowing the knot in his throat as he tried to shrug it off. He was just a weird kid. That’s all.

Derek managed to pass the next two hours by reading a book, but eventually figured that he might as well go to an earlier therapy session while Gerard was most like still busy. He waited patiently with a small group of people for the elevator to get to their floor before letting the others go in first. As he started to step in, Stiles' ominous words echoed in his mind and he took a step back, swallowing slowly.  
"Are you coming or not?" A nurse asked impatiently, raising her eyebrows.

Derek shook his head quickly, trying to push down the weird feeling that he was getting deep in his stomach. The hair at the back of his neck prickled up and he couldn't understand why those words were affecting him so much. Everything just felt so…. _wrong_.

He stared as the nurse rolled her eyes before the doors started to close. Derek furrowed his eyebrows when the lights inside started to flicker before the sound of something metal snapping above the elevator boomed through the shutting doors. He flinched and closed his eyes in reflex, but when he opened them again, the doors were still ajar, but all he could see between them was darkness.

Then came the screams and the screeching sounds of the elevator as it rocketed down the shaft, only stopping when it crashed to a devastating stop at the bottom. The horrible sound reverberated through the empty shaft, only finally drowned out by the sound of Derek's heart pounding in his ears. He took a step back on shaky legs, letting his back fall against the wall as he balled his hands into fists. That did not just happen, there was no way that just happened. Those people were just standing in front of him, how could they be gone? How could the elevator have broken like that when only seconds ago it was fine? The noises, God, the noises were so loud. Derek knew he'd hear those screams and see those faces when he could finally force himself to sleep. As he struggled to stop his body from shaking, Stiles' words started to echo in his mind again.

 

_"I'd avoid elevators if I were you."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any mistakes, these chapters will mostly be unbeta'd, so all uncaught mistakes are mine and I apologize in advance! I hope you continue to enjoy!

Derek stayed near the empty shaft until they sealed it off, unable to take his eyes away from it. Technical crew said that the elevator had malfunctioned due to faulty wiring before the cable snapped. The other piece of news was that not a single person inside the elevator survived the crash. That just troubled Derek even more. How the hell could Stiles have known about something like that?

Derek needed to know the answer to that as soon as possible. He pushed himself on to his feet and began hunting for the strange kid, a million possible scenarios running through his mind. Could Stiles somehow have sabotaged the elevator? What would the point of that be though? The only plausible answer to that was that Stiles was a sociopath that wanted to change things up. Even though Derek didn't know the guy, that scenario seemed unlikely. He ventured through the long corridors, looking in every single room until he found the one that had Stiles' name on the nameplate beside the door.

Derek pushed the slightly ajar door open without much thought, pausing when he saw Stiles curled up on the bed. Stiles shifted and grabbed his glasses from the table before sitting up and looking to Derek.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked, raising his eyebrows a little as he got to his feet and stepped closer to Derek.

Derek growled in frustration, grabbing Stiles by the front of his shirt and pushing him up against the wall. "What the hell was that?" He hissed at him.

"What was what?" Stiles asked, sounding groggy and confused.

"What the hell do you think I'm talking about? 'Avoid elevators'? How the fuck did you know about that? What's your game here? And why are you wearing these?" Derek grabbed the sunglasses on his face, wanting to look Stiles in the eyes so he couldn't lie easily.

A light clatter echoed through the room when the sunglasses hit the floor. Derek was tense with shock as he stared into Stiles' eyes, barely noticing that he had dropped the glasses. Stiles' eyes were a gorgeous shade of amber, but the unnerving thing was that much of the area surrounding his irises was filled with red and the occasional swirl of violet. Stiles inhaled sharply through his nose, raising his hand to use it as a visor to protect his eyes from the light.

"Thanks for that." Stiles stated sarcastically, leaning back against the wall. "My eyes get sensitive after treatment, so it'd be really nice of you to pick those off the floor, okay?" He huffed before closing his eyes.

Derek nodded numbly and mumbled an apology, reaching down to pick them up before offering them back to Stiles. "What did they do to you?" He couldn't stop himself from asking the question.

Stiles let out a brief humorless laugh as he replaced the glasses onto his face. "They made me a freak. So, you have questions, I need to rest, let's make this fast." He motioned with his wrist, wanting to get on with it.

"How did you know about the elevator?"

"So it crashed?" Stiles sighed and sat on the bed as he scratched at his head. "I get these feelings. I guess I can sense things sometimes. Sometimes it's stronger than others."

"Do they come to you as visions or something?" Derek asked softly, keeping his voice low.

"Sometimes." Stiles replied, glancing up to him. "I guess it depends. It can be dreams, it can be sounds, sometimes it's just a feeling. With you, I felt it and I kind of heard it."

"What exactly did you hear?"

"The sound of the elevator reaching the floor, and then the cable breaking. I got a glimpse of the time too. You ever see Final Destination? I'm kinda like the freaky vision kid." Stiles joked. "Seriously though, to answer your question, I had a feeling about the elevator on the left and that something bad was going to happen at three, and figured I should tell you before you got on it. Does that make sense?"

"Not at all." Derek stated, wanting to say that this was all bullshit, but he knew that Stiles wasn't lying. "Do you feel things about people?" 

Stiles nodded at that. "I feel like I'm going to have to stick close to you. I feel like someone in here that would get us out, and I think that person is you. I felt it when I first saw you."

"And you believe that?" Derek asked, sitting beside him on the bed.

"I have to. What else do I have to believe in?" Derek thought about the look of Stiles' eyes and exhaled slowly through his nose.

"Why do they give you different treatments? Have they always done that?"

"To me, yeah. Don't worry, they don't do anything like that on the others here. You're probably safe." Stiles replied, scooting back until his back was against the wall.

Derek nodded but wasn't really worried about that. Not yet anyways. "Are there others like you?"

Stiles nodded at that. "There was a bunch of us. I remember this one kid, his name's Matt. Had reoccurring night terrors where he drowned. We were all together, the place kind of looked like this, but less bedrooms and more medical labs."

"What happened?" Stiles sighed through his nose, shifting on the bed as he played with his hands.

"I'm the last one." He answered, drumming his fingers on his crossed arms. "I'm the one that didn't reject the dosages they give me, or the intense testing. I always get better." Stiles tilted his head back and cursed softly under his breath as he shifted a little. Derek didn't know what to say to that; he couldn't imagine how hard it was to be stuck here for so long and go through the rigorous testing that Stiles did.

Derek left Stiles alone in his room shortly after since Stiles couldn't stay upright anymore and needed to get some sleep. He was a little thankful for Stiles wanting to rest, he didn't want to bother him with too many questions.

He tried to distract himself with going to the cafeteria and getting dinner, but it mostly just led to him sitting and poking at his broccoli with his fork. The day's events and conversations with Stiles had left him feeling drained. He managed to force himself to eat half of his meal before giving up and throwing the plate into the nearest trash bin.

A quick glance around the room and he noticed Isaac sitting off by himself, doing much of the same that Derek had been doing. Derek was thankful that he was at least trying to eat and couldn't really ask for more from him. When Isaac looked up to him, Derek gave him a nod of approval to help him feel just a little better before he headed back to his room for an attempt at sleep.

\---------------------------

The following day came after a night of constantly waking up, once in a cold sweat and labored breathing, and Derek just honestly wanted to get back to sleep. He was still in bed, hands covering his face as he debated on whether or not to just force himself to try and sleep more. A sound at his side pulled him out of his thoughts and he pulled his hands away to glance over before nearly jumping out of his skin. 

Stiles was sitting beside his bed, eyebrows raising at Derek's response. He let out a laugh before raising a hand to cover his mouth and muffle it. "Shit, sorry, thought you heard me." He snickered as he spoke, unable to stop grinning. Derek couldn't stop from rolling his eyes.

"Did you need something?" He asked, a little agitated from his lack of sleep.

Stiles shrugged a little. Either he ignored the tone in Derek's voice, or he just didn't notice it. "I thought I'd come bother you now that I don't feel like I'm going to fall over dead."

"Well I'm glad you feel better at least." Derek stated before sighing a little. Could he sound like more of an ass right now? "What are you even doing in my room?"

Stiles couldn't help but snort a little in disbelief. "This is coming from the guy that burst into my room last night and actually ripped my sunglasses off of my face." Derek grimaced at him and covered his face to hide his embarrassment.

"Sorry about that." He mumbled, sighing and lowering his hands again so he could sit up and face Stiles. "So, why are you here?"

Stiles shrugged his shoulders. "I'm bored and I figured I may as well come hang out with you. It's not like I have any one else to talk to."

Derek raised his eyebrows a little at that. "You don't talk to anyone else?"

"I mean, I could talk to Gerard or another 'therapist', but I'd rather take my kidney out with a butter knife than willingly do that. Or is that a bad answer?" Derek let out a small sound of amusement.

"No, I feel the same way." He assured Stiles, earning a wide grin.

"And this is why I'm in your room. We may as well get to know each other if we're gonna get on the outside one of these days, right?" Derek wasn't sure if that was just some misguided optimism or if Stiles actually had one of his feelings. Although, he couldn't blame him if it was just optimism.

"You're a pretty strange kid." Derek commented, raising his eyebrows.

Stiles laughed outright and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, but I make things more interesting."

"That's one way to put it." Stiles smiled wider at Derek's reaction.

"Anyways, moving on from my weirdness, how about you tell me about yourself?"

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

"What do you like better, Mexican food or Chinese?" Of course Stiles wouldn't stop with the normal generic questions.

"Chinese." Derek replied.

"Spicy or sweet?" Stiles asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Spicy?" Derek asked, returning the eyebrow raise.

"Sweet or salty?"

Derek shrugged. "Either?"

"Milk or Dark chocolate."

"Dark." Derek replied as Stiles made a face at his answer.

"Brothers or sisters?"

"Sisters. Two." Derek clenched a fist as he tried not to think about whether or not they were still okay out there.

"Older or younger?"

"Both. You?"

"Only child." Derek cringed at that. He could only imagine how Stiles' family was holding up.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Stiles replied with a shrug. "That's the whole point of getting to know each other."

"It's about your testing, actually. I know that it makes you really worn out, and does something to your eyes, but what exactly do they do to you?" Stiles sighed and rolled up his sleeves. His arms were peppered with various injection marks; some were fresh and some were faded and much older. "What do they inject you with?"

Stiles shrugged as he brushed his fingers against some of the newer ones. He winced a little at the feeling and sighed softly. "I don't remember what they put in me, or why. It might be that I repressed the memories of it all, or they don't want me to remember."

Derek nodded a little. "Hopefully it's the first option."

Stiles snorted and rolled his eyes. "I hope so, but I'm not exactly lucky so I doubt it."

"Does the testing dull your 'feelings' or make them stronger?"

Stiles drummed his fingertips against his bottom lip, looking upwards towards the ceiling. "That's actually a really good question. I have no idea, since for as long as I've had them, I've been under the tests. When I hear the feelings or see them, it's like being underwater, but obviously without the drowning. So I'm going to say that maybe they do?"

"Understandable. Is there...anything else that you can do, like the feelings?"

"I can do a handstand." Stiles joked with a wide smile, causing Derek to roll his eyes. Smart ass.

 

Derek spent much of the day getting to know Stiles better, only leaving whenever one of them had to go to therapy. Thankfully Stiles didn't have to worry about his invasive therapy today and was conscious and in a good mood when he returned. It made Derek feel a little better to know that Stiles was in higher spirits because of their talks. It made him want to get Stiles out of here and back to his family.

After Derek was finished with own therapy, he headed back to the recreation room to meet Stiles. When he walked into the room, he noticed that Stiles was sitting at his apparent usual table, talking to a nurse with long red hair pinned up into a neat bun. Stiles had his arms crossed over his chest and his sunglasses off of his face. That probably wasn't good at all, considering how sensitive to light he was the day before.

The nurse soon nodded and sighed softly, motioning for Stiles to put them back on. Stiles did so before drumming his fingers on the table before he said something to her. Derek slowly walked closer to them, not sure if he should give them space or if it would be okay.

"I'm not trying to compromise your position or anything, Lydia. I just thought that you should know." Stiles told her before glancing over and noticing Derek. He motioned him over and Derek obliged, sitting beside Stiles.

"Derek, this is Lydia. Lydia, Derek. Derek's like me. Well, not _exactly_ like me, I'm totally unique."

"The world couldn't handle more than one of you." Lydia pointed out dryly, causing Derek to let out a snort of amusement before he quickly apologized under his breath.

"Lydia and I knew each other during elementary school, obviously before I was taken." Stiles briefly explained. "She's been working in the pediatric ward, and she's apparently good because they transferred her up here." Lydia shot Stiles a scowl and Stiles quickly backtracked. "Of course you're good at your job, I just mean they trust you enough to be up here."

"It's nothing like I thought." She replied, drumming her nails against the surface of the table. "Your parents told everyone that you were taken from them. Did they put you here?"

Stiles frowned and shook his head. "They were lied to. My parents didn't know what they were planning. Hell, I don't know what they're planning." He rolled his eyes and grimaced as he leaned back in his chair. "This place is evil, Lydia. Be careful."

Lydia looked a little conflicted between the various information she had been receiving, but she nodded, probably for Stiles' sake. "I'll keep an eye out on things then. You need to be careful too, Stiles. If everything is like how you say, then you need to make sure that the wrong people don't find out. Last thing I need is for you to be killed right after I saw you again."

"Aww, you're worried? That's so sweet." Stiles smiled as Lydia rolled her eyes a little. "Anyways, don't worry, I've handled this for eight years. A few more weeks couldn't be too hard." Derek furrowed his eyebrows at that statement.

"A few more weeks?" He asked quietly.

Stiles gave a slow nod as he glanced over to him. "That's when we're getting out of here."

"In a few weeks?" Derek had to ask again. He was pretty sure that he didn't hear him right.

Stiles gave a slight roll of his eyes. "Yeah. It'd be sooner, but our group isn't finished yet. We're waiting for someone." Derek knew better than to ask about the other person.

"I still haven't agreed to everything." Lydia pointed out, raising a manicured eyebrow.

Stiles smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "You will." He replied simply before he lowered his voice. "You shouldn't sit here too long, if we keep meeting like this, they'll start to think we're up to something. I'll check in with you when I start figuring out a plan."

Lydia shook her head and rose to her feet. "Fine. I'll check in on you later." She stated before heading back off so she could resume her duties.

Stiles watched her go until he couldn't see her anymore, keeping his eyes on the door. "So, Derek. I have another question. What were you before all of this?" He asked softly.

"I was a police officer." Stiles' smile faded for a few moments before returning.

"Are you any good with a gun?" He murmured. Derek nodded his answer.

Stiles gave a returning nod. "Good. We're going to need that." Derek closed his eyes for a moment and sighed through his nose. What was he getting himself into?

"Are you ever going to explain more of your whole thought process or just leave me in the dark?"

"I happen to like being mysterious. Obviously, yeah, if I'm going to be planning with you, I kind of have to fill you in on the details, right?"

"With you, you never know. You did tell me that I should be wary of elevators."

"That was ages ago, you gotta move on, Derek."

Derek scowled at him. "Stiles, that was yesterday."

"Same difference." Stiles retorted, shrugging his shoulder and raising his eyebrows. "Either way it's in the past now and you're still alive. You're no use to me dead." Derek narrowed his eyes a little as he looked away from Stiles.

"What happens when we get out?"

"We'll figure that out when we're out. Obviously we have to get far away from this place."

"And how much of a plan do you have?"

Stiles shrugged, glancing up at a guard across the room. He watched him for a moment to make sure he was still focused on other patients before looking back to Derek. "I can't tell you right now, but we'll start being able to find ways to start planning together."

Derek sighed and reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Fine."

"If you get any ideas for the plan, that could be very helpful too." Stiles pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest before standing. "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll talk to you later." He added as he began walking away. He soon stopped walking and turned to face Derek, smiling a little.

Derek tensed, hoping that Stiles wasn't going to tell him another possible omen.

"Thanks for being my friend. I guess I forgot how good it feels to have one." Stiles admitted, shifting on his feet and scratching at the back of his neck. Derek slowly relaxed at his words but felt a little guilty for expecting the worst. Stiles was definitely an extremely weird kid, but he was also just incredibly lonely.

Derek swallowed hard and nodded his head as he struggled to think of what to say. Luckily, he didn't have to because Stiles quickly turned on his heel and left the room. Derek slowly exhaled, shaking his head a little as he looked out to watch the sun setting.


	4. Chapter 4

As the week went on, every now and again Derek found himself waking to Stiles in his room. Apparently Stiles' planning skills came out full force at six in the morning.

Stiles would come in messy-haired and bleary-eyed with his voice still rough from sleep. Sometimes he would fall back asleep with his head on Derek's bed. Derek wondered if the reason he came in so early was because his dreams would give him ideas that he needed to get out before he'd forget. If so, he couldn't blame him. He'd just have to get used to the early wake up calls.

The clock on Derek's wall read 7:20 and Stiles was still in his room with his head tilted back against the bed. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses, but his eyes were closed. He'd been quiet for several minutes and Derek was starting to wonder if he was falling back asleep.

"What did you like best about being a cop?" Stiles finally spoke up.

"I think it was getting to help people. Being someone people could trust when they needed help." Stiles gave a slow nod, opening an eye so he could look at him. The redness in Stiles' eyes was starting to fade, so Derek figured they hadn't been doing his special testing in a few days.

"Do you miss it?"

"Of course I do, but I'm also doing the same thing here. Sort of."

Stiles nodded again, closing his eye again. "You do. I've seen you giving that kid pep talks."

"Isaac? Yeah, he's a good kid. I don't want him to end up like the others."

"The Blanks?"

"Yeah."

"I still can't believe you call them that. Sounds like something I would say." Derek shrugged a shoulder dismissively, even though Stiles couldn't see it.

"It was the first thing that came to mind."

Stiles smiled and hummed in amusement. "You're weird."

Derek rolled his eyes a little. " _I'm_ the weird one?"

"Mhmm. So, what police department did you work for? Anything local?"

"Beacon Hills, so not that far away." Stiles opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

"Did you like the people that you worked with?"

"Yeah, most of them."

"What about the sheriff, was he a real hard ass?" Stiles asked softly.

"Only if you got on his bad side. He's a really fair guy. He really cared about everyone he worked with. He was kind of quiet, but he and his wife always would always spoil us. His wife cooks really good desserts, so she would always bring in cookies, Danishes, or cakes on someone's birthday." Stiles smiled and nodded.

"What kind of cake did you get?"

"It was this chocolate fudge cake with raspberry sauce." Stiles let out a low groan at that.

"Oh god, I regret asking. That sounds amazing." Derek nodded his head, moving to sit cross-legged. "Do they have kids?"

"No." Derek replied. "You'd figure they would, but I guess they just never got lucky. I don't know, they didn't like talking about it."

Stiles' face went blank with an unreadable look in his eyes. "What's their last name?"

"Stilinski. Why? Did you know them?" Stiles glanced over to Derek, sighing and shaking his head a little.

"I can't believe they didn't have any more kids." He murmured.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows as he watched Stiles. "Stiles?"

"My last name's Stilinski." Stiles said quietly, closing his eyes again.

Derek's eyes widened a little in shock as he stared at Stiles. "You're the sheriff's kid?"

"Yeah. So...They're both okay?"

"Yes...You being his kid explains a lot actually. On the outside, I don't think I've ever really seen someone hate Eichen as much as your dad."

Stiles smiled a little and nodded before his smile faltered and he sighed through his nose.

"We're going to get out of here. I'll get you back to your parents one way or the other, alright?" Stiles looked up to Derek with the unreadable look back in his eyes.

"Do you believe that we're going to get out of here?" He asked softly.

Derek nodded. "I do. One way or another, we'll get out."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise." Derek assured him. Beacon Hills wasn't that far from the building, only nearly an hour by car. He wanted to get Stiles out and reunite them with his parents. "Is it...too soon to ask more about your family and the circumstances of how you got here?"

Stiles didn't respond for a long moment. "Maybe. It's definitely too early. I don't really think I'm coherent enough to give really good answers." He mumbled, stretching his arms above his head before letting them fall back to his sides.

"Are you going to head back to your room then?" Stiles shrugged and looked over to Derek as he contemplated.

"Maybe. Do you want me to go?" Derek pursed his lips together and glanced up towards the clock again.

He had to admit that Stiles was strange and had a tendency to ramble on when he talked; that he could drag on and go on about nothing, and that his habit of sneaking into Derek's room to wake him up first thing in the mornings was something he needed to get used to. Still... "No."

Despite everything, it was pleasant to have someone to talk to. Stiles nodded and slowly let out a pent up breath, letting his shoulders relax again. "If I ever talk too much, or you want space, it's cool to tell me to shut up." Stiles pointed out before quirking an eyebrow as a small smile appeared on his face.

"Don't worry, if I ever get that annoyed by you, I would tell you straight out to back off."

"Good." Stiles replied, glancing down to his feet and rolling them a little to keep some movement in them.

 

Not much more time passed before the two of them went to breakfast. Derek introduced Stiles to Isaac and let the two of them talk. During one of their early morning discussions, Derek had brought up that he wanted to bring Isaac along with them if they could. Stiles didn't really object to the idea, but he did mention that he wanted to sort of get a feel for him and decide if they could bring him along. If Isaac was on the brink of becoming a Blank or becoming target practice for the guards, Stiles didn't want to bring him along when it could put them all at risk.

Derek watched Stiles' reactions to Isaac, noting that he did seem a little cautious, but overall seemed to approve of him.

Stiles' eyes soon trailed off of Isaac and off towards the other end of the room before he furrowed his eyebrows. As he stared longer, his eyes widened and his already alabaster skin seemed to pale.

Derek furrowed his own eyebrows and leaned forwards. "Stiles?" He asked, getting Stiles to snap out of it. 

When Stiles looked to him, he swallowed hard before trying to look normal again. "What?"

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Stiles nodded quickly, glancing up again before back down to his plate.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He mumbled, ripping off a piece of his toast and popping it into his mouth.

Derek frowned and looked up in the direction Stiles had to see if he could figure out what was wrong. All he could see were a few Blanks at a table and a guard standing watch behind them. Nothing out of the ordinary. He glanced at Stiles again, wondering if maybe he was just getting a feeling.

"I'm gonna go, you guys have therapy soon, right?" Stiles didn't wait for an answer before he rushed off with his tray.

"It was nice to...meet you." Isaac started, slowly trailing off as Stiles got out of earshot. He shrugged a little before looking to Derek. "He seems cool. He's definitely...interesting."

Derek nodded. "That's putting it mildly."

 

As Derek prepared to head down to therapy in the new elevator, he heard the sounds of yelling coming from down the hall. At first he figured that it was just a patient having a breakdown, until he realized that it was Stiles' voice. He pulled away from the crowd and searched for where he could be, stopping just outside the recreation room. Stiles had knocked over a table and was yelling as a guard pulled him down the hallway to escort him to his room. At first Stiles struggled in the guard's hold, but as they got more down the hall, he started to relax and stopped fighting as much. Derek couldn't help but find that odd because the first time that Derek saw Stiles fighting with guards, he only stopped when he got a feeling about Derek.

Derek glanced back and debated on going to the earlier therapy to just get it over with but soon sighed and followed after the two once they turned the corner towards the hallway Stiles' room was placed in.

Instead of hearing the sounds of struggling or fighting, when Derek got close enough, he heard Stiles and the guard talking quietly.

"Stiles, you don't understand, your dad has been hunting for you everywhere." The guard said quickly, raising his voice a little before lowering it again. "He's been trying to get records from different centers all over the country to see if any of them have you."

"I know, I know, but we have to be careful. This place is so fucked up. What the hell are you even doing here as a guard? Do you even know what they do to people here?"

"Yeah and it's sickening. The only reason I'm here is because your dad had a feeling that you could still be here. He couldn't get anywhere near this place, so he asked if I could try to get in." Derek peeked in and carefully looked over the two.

Stiles was siting on his bed with his head in his hands while the guard stood in front of him. Derek saw the profile of his face and realized that it was Scott McCall. While he was still working, he had constantly seen him visiting with the sheriff.

That was further proof to him that Stiles was in fact the sheriff's kid. Derek bit at his lip and leaned away so he was hidden by the wall once again. "You can't tell my dad I'm here, Scott. You know that right?" He heard Stiles speak up, his voice wavering.

"Why not? Your parents have been trying everything they could think of to find you."

"Because I have a group set up. We're going to get out of here, and I can't involve my parents. Not yet. When I get out, the first place they'll look is my parents' house so they need plausible deniability. I don't want to put them at risk. When I know it's safe, I'll go see them."

"You're going to tell me the plan right?" Scott asked.

"Yeah. We're still planning, but it's set for a few weeks. We can go ahead and plan easier now that the person I was waiting for is here." Derek tensed up. So this was the person Stiles mentioned?

"'Person you were waiting for?' Did you know I was coming?" Scott asked, sounding really confused.

"I had no clue that it'd be you." Stiles snorted. "They made me their guinea pig, so now apparently I can sense things." He explained briefly, not really wanting to get into it.

"Are you okay?" Stiles huffed out a laugh at Scott's question.

"No, not really. But I'm getting there."

Derek shook his head a little and lightly rapped his knuckles on the door frame before standing under it. "Is everything okay?" He asked, pretending not to have been listening.

Scott quickly tensed up and was about to get back into his guard mode but Stiles stopped him. "Scott, it's okay. This is Derek, he's my second in command." Stiles introduced, half-joking at the end.

Scott scrutinized Derek before his eyes widened a little in realization. "Weren't you one of the deputies in Beacon Hills?"

"I was." Derek replied with a nod. "I'm going to help Stiles get out."

Scott looked a little unsure but nodded. "The sheriff trusted you, so I guess if Stiles trusts you too, I'll trust your help."

Derek raised his eyebrows a little. "Thanks?"

"Anyways, moving on." Stiles replied, drumming his hands on his legs. "Since you're a guard, that makes it even better and easier to get down. When it happens, if anyone asks, you can tell them that we're being taken down for extra therapy. We could stop the elevators at level five, but at a time when no one should be down there. We could take the stairs after that until we get to two, then change out of patient clothes and into nurse scrubs. We can say that we're going home for the day if anyone else stops us on two or one..." He planned out, lifting his hand and scratching at his head. "We still have a few weeks to plan, but I think that's part of the basis of it. Like I told Lydia though, we can't communicate together normally where others can see. I threw that fit so you had to step in and do your job and calm me down. Lydia will communicate with us when she's doing our check ups and tracking our physical health. Even though we have a few weeks, we won't be able to talk much. I'll fill you in as much as I can, alright?"

Scott nodded slowly as he took all of the information in. "I'll head out then before the others start to wonder why I'm taking so long." He said softly before placing a hand on Stiles' shoulder. "I'm so glad I found you."

Stiles gave a nod. "Me too. Thanks for helping."

"It's the least I could do. You've been here for way too long." Stiles sighed through his nose.

"That's an understatement. But I'm not going to die in the place. I won't let them win." Scott glanced out the door before hugging Stiles. Stiles closed his eyes tightly and returned the hug before he had to push him away. "Guards don't hug the prisoners." He joked, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "The nine years of hugs and everything else can wait until we're long gone."

Scott nodded and took a deep breath to regain his composure before leaving the room. Stiles watched him go, gripping the fabric of his pants. Derek noticed his hands were shaking.

Derek slowly reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're scared, aren't you?"

"I don't want to die here." Stiles admitted, refusing to look up at him.

"You won't. Today I promised that I'd get you out of here soon, remember?"

Stiles nodded slowly. "What's the first thing that you're going to do when you get out?"

"I'd want to see my family, but you're right. We can't involve them in the escape."

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows. "You were listening?"

Derek mentally cursed, tensing a little. "I was making sure that you were okay."

"I'm not mad, don't worry. You know what the first thing I want to do when I get out of here is? I'm going to get myself a massive steak, curly fries, and maybe I can get laid. I mean, I may as well." Derek couldn't stop the surprised, choked off laugh that escaped his mouth. He really shouldn't have expected any less from Stiles.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the course of the next few days, the planning began to slow down when Stiles' testing and injections started up again. He would get so exhausted that he would tell Derek he'd come find him later and then fall asleep for hours instead. Derek worried about how it affected him, but the knowledge that they would soon hopefully be outside helped ease his mind a little.

His priority for getting out first had been so he could be free and get back to a normal life, but it was steadily becoming about getting Stiles the hell away from the crazy doctors that used him as a pin cushion.

Derek was currently in Stiles' room with him, since this time Stiles wanted him to stay until he fell asleep.

Stiles was curled up on his side with the blankets pulled up to just under his eyes. He was shivering a little, but when Derek had asked about it, Stiles just dismissed it and said the testing room was cold. Derek considered asking why Stiles' hair was wet but he decided against it. He didn't want to make Stiles talk about the things the doctors did to him.

"Do you need another blanket?" Derek asked, keeping his voice low. The treatments gave Stiles horrible headaches right afterwards.

Stiles was staring past Derek with unfocused eyes until he slowly realized that Derek had asked him a question. He blinked slowly and looked to Derek before shaking his head.

Derek found it unnerving to see how silent he was being. Usually Stiles was so talkative that it bordered on the edges of endearing and annoying. "Do you want me to leave?" Stiles shook his head again, reaching out and grabbing Derek's wrist as Derek stood. Derek gave a nod of understanding and reached out to brush Stiles' bangs out of his face as an attempt of comfort. It was also a sly way to see if he was feverish. Stiles was pretty warm, but not dangerously so.

Derek sighed and grabbed a towel off of Stiles' end table before he began trying to dry off Stiles' hair. Stiles whined in protest and tried to roll away, causing Derek to roll his eyes. "Stop squirming." Derek ordered. "You're going to get sick if I don't dry you off."

"Good. I don't care." Stiles mumbled. Derek's frown deepened at the childish answer. He decided to just ignore Stiles and finish rubbing his hair try before he set the towel aside.

"Try to get some sleep." Derek stated, getting to his feet. He couldn't stop from feeling a little annoyed at how he was acting. They were supposed to be helping each other right?

Stiles didn't reach for Derek this time, watching him and staying quiet. Derek cursed under his breath before heading out into the hall so that he could go do something else while Stiles was resting. He ended up in the recreation room and grabbed a book off the shelf so he could read through the it. He found it strange that the hospital would have novels such as The Shining, but at least it was some decent entertainment for him to distract his mind from everything else. He managed to get a good chunk of the book completed when he was snapped out of his little world by the distant sound of a gun going off. Derek tensed and closed his eyes tightly as he tried to calm his heart as it pounded in his chest. He would never get used to that sound and the way that it would echo off the walls, only to be followed by an eerily silence that was only filled by the sound of Derek's blood pumping deafeningly in his ears.

Derek tightened his grip on the book in his hands and closed his eyes as he took slow breaths through his nose and out his mouth. He just had to remind himself that it was only a few more weeks. He just had to endure this place for a little longer and they'd be out.

 

Despite the shooting, today was also the day where routine check ups from the nurses happened. The bi-monthly check ups usually consisted of at least getting blood drawn and a blood pressure check. It depended on the needs of a patient.

Derek waited in his room to get it over with, figuring that he would either get Brunski, a twisted man that got a thrill out of being sadistic towards the patients, or some other lethargic worker.

This time, Lydia came in and got right to work with fastening the blood pressure band around his right arm. Derek couldn't help but notice that despite how hard she tried to look focused and composed, she still looked shaken up.

"What happened?" He asked her, keeping his eyes on her face.

Lydia shook her head a little and tried to focus, but soon sighed and closed her eyes as she sat back. "I'm completely on your guys' team. Today, this woman rushed up to me and asked me for help. She just seemed scared, and they pulled her off of me and shot her. She didn't even grip me that hard." She put her head in his hands and tried to pull herself together. "And then I saw Stiles."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows. "He was a little feverish this morning. Is he still feeling sick?"

"I found him in the bathroom, throwing up and sweating with blood dripping out of his nose. He has a high fever and is really disoriented. Whatever they're doing to him with those injections, they've upped the dosage and..." she trailed off before closing her eyes and shaking her head a little. "We need to move the date up. If we don't get Stiles out of here soon, I think the injections are going to kill him." 

Derek felt rage bubbling up in his chest and balled his hands into fists as Lydia unfastened the band. He glowered at the floor as he took in the information; What the fuck were they trying to get out of this? "How much do you need?"

"Stiles is in the infirmary right now on watch, I'm going to be in charge of keeping an eye on him once I finish the round of check ups, so he should be there for about two days." She said softly, biting at her lip as she thought about the time frame. "This Saturday."

Derek tensed a little as he thought about that. They only had four days? "Are you sure?"

Lydia nodded. "It'll be our best shot."

"Can I talk to Stiles? Does he know about it?" His frown deepened when Lydia shook her head.

"No visitors allowed, only medical staff. Gerard's orders."

Of course. They now had their day of escape moved up, and he couldn't even talk to Stiles about the plan. "Does Stiles even know about the date change?"

"He's sedated and asleep, so that's a no." Derek scoffed at her answer and gave a roll of his eyes.

"So, basically you have no good news at all."

Lydia scowled up at him and rolled her own hazel-green eyes before she began taking his blood. "Saturday will be a really slow day, so it'll be easier to get out that day. There are less people here, so that means less guards to worry about."

Derek sighed a little and nodded his head. "Fine. We'll talk to Stiles when he wakes up."

Lydia nodded and finished up her examination. "If you want more good news, I have this friend named Danny. He showed me how to unlock the door key pads if they lock them on us."

"That's really good news. I'm glad you're on our side, Lydia." He murmured, getting to his feet.

Lydia shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'd be crazy not to be." She stated before turning on her heel and leaving the room to carry on with her work.

When Derek had to go down for therapy, he wandered away from the group once they were on the fifth floor so he could check out the infirmary. The door to one of the rooms was closed, but through the window, he could see Stiles sleeping on the bed. His already alabaster skin looked shades lighter and he looked completely exhausted.

"Don't worry about him, he's a tough one. He always bounces back." Derek almost growled when Gerard placed a hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged his hand off and stepped away from him, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at him. "Right. What happens if you push him too far and he doesn't wake up?"

Gerard looked back to Stiles and pondered Derek's question. "Then we connect to his mind and record what he sees. He'll just be useful in a different way." Derek wanted to throw up in disgust.

"You can't do that to him."

"As long as he's alive and in here, we _can_ do whatever needs to be done. Don't be too late to therapy, we have much to do." Gerard reminded him with a smile before he moved on.

Derek balled his hands into fists as he watched Stiles sleep. He wouldn't let that happen. He'd do whatever it took to stop Stiles from turning into a permanent experiment. If he had to, if Stiles went into a permanent coma, he'd pull the plug and free him from it himself.

Derek remained there for only a few moments longer until he had to force himself to go to therapy and get it all over with. He couldn't stop thinking about what Gerard said and how cold and nonchalantly about what they would do to Stiles if they pushed him too far. He realized that death by the guards was the most merciful way out of this place.

If they all made it out of this place alive, he thought about what their next step would be. Obviously they would have to hide out in a safe place, but what came after that?

Would they all split up? Derek thought about potential ways that they could bring the company to the ground. Could they go public with the truth of what happened? No, they were too small of a group. Even if Lydia and Scott spoke out from their positions, Eichen could easily turn it around on them and they would all end up back in the hospital.

Derek cursed and put his head in his hands as he sat in his room. He didn't want them to get away with the things they did to people, the things they did to Stiles, but they would have to be smart about it. Maybe there's a way to take them down from the inside. A way to gather enough physical evidence and release it. He couldn't think of this now. First they had to make sure that Stiles was okay, and then they had to get the fuck out before Gerard could do more to him.

First thing on Saturday morning, they needed to be out of here.

Derek thought up more for their plan of escape, since Stiles couldn't do much planning or talking for the time being, until he managed to fall asleep. He awoke to movement on the edge of his bed and rolled his head so he could look at the clock. 1:32. Derek squinted in the darkness at the glowing numbers before sitting up so he could see who was here.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." A familiar voice softly spoke.

"Stiles?" Derek asked, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up more. "You shouldn't be out of the infirmary."

"I wanted to come see you." Stiles replied and Derek could barely see him fussing with something on his shirt. A loose string probably.

"Okay...Did you have a feeling?" Stiles shrugged and scratched at his head and slowly thought about it.

"I don't think so. I just wanted to see you. Is that okay?" Derek gave a nod, although he wasn't sure if Stiles could see it or if he even noticed.

"It's fine." He replied, wondering if Stiles really did just have a feeling and he didn't want to talk about it yet.

Stiles fiddled with his shirt and focused on that, not saying anything else for a short while. "Do...Do you think they're going to kill me?"

"I don't think that they _want_ to kill you, but if they keep pushing you farther, soon they might." Derek said honestly. "Did Lydia come talk to you?"

"She told me we need to leave sooner."

"Yeah, that's right. And Gerard talked about testing you and...We just need to get you out."

Stiles sighed softly at that. "I figured as much. Maybe he will kill me." He replied before getting to his feet. Derek reached out and grabbed Stiles' forearm, cringing and letting go when he felt wetness. Stiles didn't seem to pay attention as he walked away. When he opened the door, Derek blinked to get used to the dim night lighting before glancing down at his hand. He quickly tensed up when he realized it was red with blood and looked up to call out to Stiles. He cursed when Stiles was gone and quickly scrambled out of bed so he could rush after him on unsteady feet.

He called after Stiles, seeing him go through the doorway to the showers. He cursed and followed him inside, looking around the shut curtains in the different stalls. "Stiles?" He called out again, opening the curtains one by one. As he neared the end, he heard coughing before the sound of Stiles' spitting out some liquid. He followed the sound and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand when he saw the bloodied hand print from where Stiles grabbed the curtain to get inside. He swallowed hard and pulled it open. Stiles was sitting on the floor with his hands covering his mouth and his eyes closed.

"Stiles?" Derek asked softly as he crouched beside him. Stiles jerked his head up and Derek flinched backwards when he saw that Stiles' subconjunctival hemorrhage had filled his sclera completely and blood trickled steadily out of his mouth. Stiles wheezed and closed his eyes tightly before he grabbed Derek's arms tightly and started coughing again.

"Help me." He gasped out desperately as he dug in his nails. "Please, help me."

Derek rocketed up, breathing heavily and looking around quickly. "Stiles?" He asked quickly before realizing he was back in his room. He furrowed his eyebrows and quickly looked at the clock; it was just after eight. Derek exhaled shakily and wiped at his face to get rid of some of the cold sweat. "Just a nightmare." He mumbled before remembering just how desperate Stiles looked in his dream. He quickly got out of bed and rushed to the elevator quickly so he could go down with some of the morning group. Once the elevator opened on five, he pushed past some of the patients and made his way to the infirmary. When he saw doctors and nurses rushing in and out of a room and talking quickly, he started to panic. Oh god, Stiles... His chest tightened and he felt like he was going go be sick.

When he got closer, he realized that they were attending to another patient and let out a pent up breath. He stopped in the doorway of Stiles' room since it was opened the time, looking him over from the distance. At first glance everything seemed like it had been yesterday before noticing that he was now on oxygen. That was new...

A nurse was beside his bed, jogging down notes of what the machines were saying and how his vitals were looking.

"What happened?" Derek asked her.

The nurse glanced up before looking back down to her notes. "He was struggling to breathe early this morning, and kept throwing up. He's doing better now. He should be walking around again tomorrow."

Derek was relieved that Stiles was okay, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach. "What time did the attack happen?"

The nurse lifted a page on the pad and looking over the information. "It happened at 1:32."

Derek tensed up, thinking about his dream again. How the hell did he had a dream about Stiles asking for help the moment that Stiles started having a medical emergency?

He looked back to where Stiles was sleeping and sighed. It was probably just a weird coincidence.


	6. Chapter 6

Wednesday passed by slowly and uneventfully. Stiles woke up on Thursday afternoon, just after two.

Derek visited the outside of his infirmary room to see how he was doing and felt relieved when he saw Stiles sitting up and eating some soup. He still looked tired, but Derek was just happy to see him awake and moving. Stiles glanced over at the window and smiled a little as he waved at him, spoon still in hand.

Derek waved back at him until a nurse noticed and didn't look to pleased as she shooed Derek away. Derek scowled back at her before looking back to Stiles. Stiles just gave a roll of his eyes and a reassuring smile to let Derek know that he'd be okay. Derek nodded in return and gave one final wave before walking away so he could let Stiles have some space. The last thing he wanted to do, especially when they were so close to getting out, was piss off a nurse and end up in solitary for the week.

Derek checked on him each time he had to come down for therapy, but every time he got outside his room, someone was in there with him so he couldn't go in and talk to him. Despite still looking tired, Stiles seemed to be a little more energetic every time Derek came to him. He beamed at Derek and waved happily at him, getting scolded by a nurse afterwards since she was trying to draw his blood. Derek was relieved to see that he was almost completely back to his old self.

 

Friday made Derek feel antsy since their day of escape was almost here. Isaac was looking a lot better and even seemed to be feeling in generally better moods. Derek was happy that Isaac was able to take his advice and get to where he was starting to feel more normal once again. When Derek was leaving the cafeteria, a guard bumped hard right into him. Derek hissed at how hard he hit his shoulder and lifted a hand to rub it, shooting a scowl at the guard. It almost faded when he realized it was Scott, but thankfully he did feel agitated enough for it to easily stay.

"You're going to be part of a smaller group tomorrow. They want to do a little extra therapy, so we'll be taking you down at eleven tomorrow. We're meeting in the recreational room. Don't be late." Scott stated casually, staring back at Derek and hoping he got the point. Scott moved on shortly after as Derek left for his room.

Derek tried to calm down his heart rate as he walked slowly and took deep breaths. This was it. The only thing he had been waiting for was the official time they needed to meet up and leave, and Lydia had told him she'd get back to him on it. Now that he knew, the plan of escape felt that much more real to him. He stopped walking and looked out one of the large bullet proof safety windows, looking up to the sky. Tomorrow, he was going to feel the breeze on his skin again. 

Tomorrow, they were going to be free.

He gazed down at the courtyard below them before looking up straight ahead. Someone on the other side of the building, on the sixth floor was smacking their head against the window, hard enough to draw blood. Derek cringed as he watched the man start finger-painting on the window. As of tomorrow, there was definitely going to be no more of that either. He grimaced and shook his head, looking back down to the courtyard so he didn't have to look at that guy again. From up here, he could see the different colors of the flowers in bloom, even the colorful mosaic in the large fountain housed in the center of the courtyard. From an aerial view, Eichen Hospital was shaped much like a large square with a smaller hollowed out section in the center. From here, he couldn't see the outside world. He couldn't wait to see it again and to be out there again.

He soon pulled away from the window and shuffled to his room once again so he could think about his part of the plan tomorrow. The guards usually carried more weapons on them besides their submachine guns that were usually standard issue. Many carried tranquilizer guns and tasers, some had a Beretta M9 pistol on hand. Derek only was aware of this because the plan was for Scott to give Derek his pistol if they ran into any problems. Derek had no qualms about that whatsoever, he could definitely hold his own with one of those. He just hoped that it wouldn't come down to having to actually use it. The last thing he wanted was for their escape to be messier and bloodier than necessary. He didn't want to use it unless they had no other choice.

 

Derek had problems sleeping throughout the night and continuously woke up. He figured it was just because he was so anxious about the next day. Derek would remind himself that it would be okay and he just had to stay focused. They would all make it out of here, one way or another.

 

The next morning, by the time it got to be 10:30, Derek was beyond anxious but kept up his neutral mask to keep attention off of himself. He had only seen Isaac so far and needless to say, it wasn't all that reassuring to his nerves. Derek poked at his breakfast and tried to force himself to eat until it got closer to the time.

At 10:50, he threw his plate away and left the cafeteria for the recreational room to meet with the group.

At 11:02, while the group was together and walking towards the elevators, all hell broke loose.

A mixture of screams suddenly started to echo from down the hallway. It would be enough of a problem if they were all out of terror, but more than half of them were maniacal and rage-fueled yells. As they passed by, group peeked into the large room out of curiosity to see just see what exactly was happening.

The cafeteria could only be described as a war zone at this point. Blanks were screaming and attacking each other; biting, clawing, and using whatever they could to cause harm.

Derek could even see one bludgeoning another patient with a chair of all things. Guards rushed past them to get into the room and began working on taking some of the patients down. The medley of gunshots and different screams were nearly deafening in noise.

Reinforcements of both guards and patients started to fill the hallways, attacking each other on sight. As the group hurried towards the elevators and tried to get out of there as fast as they could, they dodged the violent scenes around them to avoid getting caught up in them.

Derek couldn't understand what had led patients to clawing at each other or trying to rip out a guard's throat with their teeth. One patient was slamming his head against a wall, not even seeming to care about how much damage he was doing to himself. Every now he just spit blood and a few teeth before resuming. 

"What the hell is going on?" Scott asked in his panic, pushing aside a dazed patient that stood in their way.

"You think I know? They've all gone ballistic!" Lydia snapped, kicking her heels off so she could avoid slipping on blood. As she reached down, a patient grabbed one of them away and proceeded to shove the short heel into another patient's eye. Pleasant. "Are you _kidding_ me?! Those were three hundred dollar shoes!" Lydia hissed, but the patient didn't seem to pay any mind to her anger. She let out a frustrated noise and abandoned the other shoe so they could get the fuck out before someone focused on them. Derek wondered why she was even wearing heels in the first place.

They skidded to a stop in front of the elevator and Lydia used her keycard and pressed the button to bring the elevator to their floor. Derek, Isaac, and Scott kept an eye out for any of the frenzied patients in case one of them tried to attack them. A few of the ones around them seemed to be in their own little world. One was rocking an imaginary baby in their arms and singing it a lullaby, another was walking in small circles and mumbling in agitation to himself. He didn't even want to think about the man in the corner tying fallen teeth together with pieces of hair.

A strangled 'help me' caught Derek's attention and he gazed down the hall towards the source. A guard was on the floor, dragging himself around the corner and down the hall towards Derek. Did he mention that he didn't have legs? Because the man seriously had no fucking legs below the knees. He dragged himself and left a long slick trail of red, gasping out pleads for help as more blood trickled down his lips.

Derek quickly discovered the reason for him having lost his legs when a large muscular man turned the corner. There, of the patients that was from the higher security ward, the ward that just so happened to be locked due to how violent the patients were, the patients that were actually _supposed_ to fucking be here, stood with a fire ax in his hands. Judging by the amount of blood, and the blood soaked keys dangling from his pocket, he had attacked a guard and gotten into the emergency supply closet. The elevator announced its presence with a ding, and Derek considered it the greatest sound he'd ever heard. He cast a glance go Ennis and thankfully he was busy burying the axe in the guard's back and finishing the job.

"Go, go." He said quickly, practically pushing the group into the elevator. Lydia swiped her card with shaking hands and Derek shot one last look to Ennis. this time, Ennis was looking back at him, a wide smirk on his face as he raised the dripping axe again. Oh God.

Derek bolted into the elevator and began forcefully pressing the close doors button repeatedly. He could hear the sounds of quick, wet footsteps, and the last thing he wanted was to be hacked to pieces. As the doors finally closed, he sighed in relief and leaned back against the wall opposite the doors. The group jumped when the sound of metal hitting metal sounded out. Ennis must be hitting the doors with his handy dandy tool in an attempt to get it open. Despite his attempts, the elevator lowered to the fifth floor.

"What the fuck..." Derek breathed out, carding his fingers through his hair.

"I don't know. We just need to get Stiles, and get out." Lydia replied, her voice shaking as she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest.

Derek could only nod as the doors opened. He was the first out, rushing down the hall to get to Stiles. When he turned the corner, he was quickly angered when he saw that Brunski, the notoriously sadistic orderly, had Stiles pinned to a wall. Stiles looked a little beaten up, but managed to look both smug and annoyed. When Derek noticed that Brunski's nose was bleeding, he felt some pride too for Stiles, despite the panic he was still feeling over the upstairs situation.

"If you want to play your little games, I can play them too. See, I'm not going to put up with your attitude, or any physical contact. I can either sedate you, or it’s the taser again. It's up to you." Brunski threatened, keeping a grip on Stiles' shirt.

Stiles pretended to think before he spat blood in his face. "Fuck you." He replied simply.

Brunski let out a sarcastic laugh, raising his fist in preparation to throttle Stiles. Derek ran down the hallway at full speed and grabbed Brunski before yanking him away from Stiles. Before the orderly could process what was going on, Derek slammed him into the wall face first to send him into forced nap.

Derek carelessly let him drop to the floor and looked back to Stiles. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." Stiles grinned at him. "I could actually kiss you."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Maybe when we get out alive. Something's going on upstairs and we need to get the hell out _now_." He vaguely explained.

"Alright, message received, let's get to the stairs." Stiles replied quickly, turning and taking the lead.

As they got close to the stairwell, Stiles skidded to a stop as the doors opened. A woman with long dark hair and skin entered the hallway, her eyes widening a little when she saw the group. When her surprised expression quickly morphed into a sadistic smile, Derek realized that this was another one of the patients from the locked ward. If he remembered correctly, her name was Kali. He remembered capturing and arresting him herself. 

Stiles cast one look at her bloody bare feet and quickly turned around. "Well, looks like we're not taking the stairs!" He exclaimed as the group began bolting down the way they had come from.

Once they made it back to the elevator, Lydia once again swiped her card and opened the doors when Stiles let out a startled yell and hit the floor. Derek looked back and panicked at the sight of Kali on top of him, hitting him repeatedly and cutting him with her long nails. And if that wasn't enough, Ennis turned the corner. Derek cursed their luck. What the fuck? What were the odds of that? Oh right, the keys on his stolen keyring helped. Derek was just thrilled that it didn’t have any key cards so he couldn’t get _out_ of the building.

"Hey!" He yelled at Kali, getting her attention as he rushed at her and kicked her in the face to get her off of Stiles. While she was down, he quickly grabbed Stiles to help him to his feet and shoved him into the elevator. As the doors started to close, Ennis' ax appeared and slammed into one of the doors, causing the group to jolt away from the only exit to the steel box. The last thing Derek saw of him or the ax was Ennis's angered face between the doors as he slammed the ax into them again before they shut.

"Uh, occupied!" Stiles shouted from where he fell to the floor from Derek's shove.

"Stiles." Derek started in exasperation, turning to look down at him.

"Yeah, Derrykins?" Derek shot him an impatient scowl.

"Shut up." Stiles held up his hands defensively.

"I was just wondering if he was trying to _ax_ us a question." Everyone in the elevator sighed in unison and rolled their eyes.

"Stiles, _shut_ up." They all replied.

"Hey, it was funny, you have to admit that." He defended.

Derek rolled his eyes and didn't bother to give him a response as the elevator stopped on level two. Lydia led the way out onto the staff floor, heading to her locker to collect her things. Scott did the same, grabbing a small duffle bag before shutting the pale blue locker.

"I'm going to take an educated guess and say that there's no way in hell we're taking the stairs." Stiles piped up, grabbing a scrub shirt and changing out of his own bloodied shirt.

"You'd be guessing right." Lydia stated.

Stiles glanced down at her and realized something, pursing his lips together for a moment. "You're not wearing shoes."

"Don't you even start." She ordered, pointing threateningly at him.

Stiles raised his eyebrows a little at that. "Are you trying a new fashion statement?"

"Stiles, shut up."

"Wow, is that the phrase of the day?" Stiles snorted, looking at a labeled key holder on the wall and grabbing one of the keys. Derek wanted to question it but was stopped by Isaac speaking up.

"Can we just get going before someone else shows up?" He asked in exasperation.

"That would be great." Lydia stated, shooting one last dirty look towards Stiles before storming off towards the elevators. Stiles gave an innocent shrug and followed after her before the rest of the group followed.

They took the elevator all the way down the the main floor, and when they got out, ready to fight, the group had to pause for a moment when they noticed how barren it was. No guards standing watch and no one manning the reception or security tables. With all the chaos upstairs, it mostly made sense to say the least. They needed every available body upstairs to try and keep order.

Lydia and Scott took the lead and showed the group the way to the garage. "Should we take one of our cars?" Lydia asked, glancing over to Scott.

"I took this." Stiles replied instead, twirling the keys around his finger.

Lydia frowned at him. "Where did you get those?" She asked before sighing and rephrasing her question. " _Why_ did you take those?"

"They're Brunski's." Suddenly no one had a problem with the stolen keys.

"Oh, that's fine." Lydia replied, dropping any disapproval instantly.

"Exactly. They can't report it's been stolen, because then they'd have to admit that some patients got out of their hospital. Eichen will just buy him a new one. It's the safest bet." Stiles replied with a shrug.

"I didn't even think of that." Derek mumbled, earning a smug wink from Stiles.

"Of course you didn't."

"Stiles. Shut up." Stiles only snickered at him and hit the button on the keys so he could figure out just _what_ their getaway car was exactly. He turned his attention to the sound of two beeps and couldn't help but laugh at the sight of a black, completely loaded Ford F-150 truck.

"Of course he has a big truck. Thank god it's four doors." He beamed, tossing the keys over to Scott. "Seeing as I've never driven a car, Derek's rusty, Isaac would be rusty too if he ever drove, and Lydia is ready to kill someone, I think I'll let you take the wheel."

"Don't make me start with you, Stiles." Lydia threatened without any annoyance in her voice, following Scott to the truck.

Isaac, Stiles, and Derek climbed into the back seat in that order and it only took a few short moments until they were heading out of the garage. As the massive building slowly appeared in their rear view mirror, Derek let out a pent up breath and closed his eyes. "We made it." He said softly.

"Oh, speaking of." Stiles didn't finish his sentence and instead grabbed Derek's face before pressing his mouth onto his. Derek let out a startled noise and soon pushed at his face.

"Stiles?” He asked with a raise of his eyebrows. “Care to tell me what you're doing?"

"I said I could kiss you, and you saved me twice and we got out, so I decided to definitely kiss you." Derek rolled his eyes at that.

"Stiles?" He huffed out.

"Yes, Mr. Blushy Blush?" Stiles asked teasingly with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Shut the fuck up." Derek stated without any real malice.

 

Back at the hospital, the sixth floor carnage had ceased to an eerie and almost tranquil quiet while the workers busied themselves with returning everything to the normal order.

Gerard was in his office on the second floor, watching the black truck leave the premises on his laptop through a camera. He had a phone in his hand, pressed against his ear as he conversed with someone on the other line. "Yes, I agree. Everything went better than we hoped. It looks like we'll be ready to start Phase 2." He replied, sounding more than a little thrilled.


	7. Chapter 7

Once the group was on the highway, Lydia was in charge of giving Scott directions. Isaac focused on the world outside and Derek did the same. Lydia had given Stiles her iPod to keep him entertained, and to let him get a glimpse of the world he had missed while he was locked up.

Derek glanced down at the handheld device, watching as Stiles went through the pictures. Many of them were from a high school age. Derek recognized Scott and Lydia in a lot of them, but didn't know any of the others in the photos. A lot of landscape pictures were mixed in too, since Stiles wanted to see everything. Some were of a very prestigious university. Stiles had told Derek that Lydia had graduated a few years early and that's why she was able to get two bachelor degrees. Derek couldn't help but feel a little guilty that Lydia had to throw all that away to get them out.

"Don't be sorry. I'd rather stand up for what I believe in than get paid to be silent and pretend I don't see anything. So, maybe I didn't throw everything away." Lydia told him, shrugging her shoulders a little and turning the radio on to drown out some of the silence.

Derek looked back down to the iPod in Stiles' hand, tensing up when he saw a picture of Stiles' parents. Stiles stared down at the photograph, focusing on all of the details silently until he sighed and locked the device.

"It'll be okay, we'll make sure you see them again." Derek tried to reassure him, but he didn't really know what he could say to make him feel better. Derek hadn't seen his family in four months; Stiles had gone eight years without seeing his.

Stiles nodded slowly and sighed through his nose, pushing his sunglasses up his slightly upturned nose. "I know. I'm just thinking about things. I kind of have a plan for when we're settled and safe...I don't want to talk about it right now though." He added, glancing up at Derek.

Derek nodded and dropped the subject entirely. "Understandable."

Stiles gave a nod and gave the iPod back to Lydia so she could put it in her purse.

The next few hours passed by as they followed Lydia's directions. Derek almost expected to at least hear sirens, but it stayed quiet in that area throughout the trip. The first few hours were spent with Lydia and Scott telling Stiles various stories about things that had happened during the time that Stiles missed out on, but Stiles had been spending the last hour listening to music on Scott's iPod.

Derek didn't know too much about their destination, he just knew that it was very secluded in the woods and that it had belonged to Lydia's grandma. Lydia had assured them that since no one really went there, it should be pretty safe. She had spent a lot of her days off going back and forth to the house to get it ready with groceries and clothes for everyone. Derek was a little surprised to say that least that Lydia had gone shopping for them and decided to wait until he saw the clothes to pass his judgment.

Stiles had spent the last ten minutes doubled over with his arms rested on his knees while he listened to music when he rocketed up, eyes wide. "Scott, pull over." He ordered quickly.

Derek's first instinct was to quickly look back and see if anyone was following them. The last time they had seen a car on the quiet two lane highway was about twenty minutes ago, and even then it was going the opposite direction. A quick and careful check showed that no, they weren't being followed. Scott pulled the vehicle over anyways and Stiles quickly scrambled over Isaac to rush out of the truck. Once he was several yards away, he bent over and started emptying his stomach.

Derek cringed in sympathy for him as Lydia cursed lightly and got out of the truck. "I knew this would happen. We took him a little too soon." She piped up, rummaging through her purse and getting out a first aid kit. She unzipped the pack so she could get out a small bottle and a syringe. After filling it to the proper dosage, she headed over to Stiles.

"Give me your arm." She said softly, rubbing his arm when he held it out before giving him the injection. Stiles panted lightly as he stayed bent over, closing his eyes and dropping his arm when Lydia was done.

He soon stood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before Lydia scrunched her face up and passed him some hand sanitizer.

"Oh come on, you're used to working with puke." He teased her, earning a roll of her eyes.

"Doesn't mean I want you to wipe it everywhere. Sit in the front with Scott. If you need to throw up again, you can get easier, but the medicine should help and it'll probably knock you out." She stated, pushing him back towards the truck.

Once they were all settled in again, Scott got them back on the road.

"So, we took him out too soon?" Isaac asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine. He just needs to rest a little longer. The stress on his body from the upped dosage in his injections mixed with the stress he went through from Brunski and that barefoot woman were just a little too much." Lydia explained, watching Stiles curl up against the truck door so he could try to get some sleep.

"And if he gets worse?" Isaac asked.

"I brought a lot of medications that can help him, and I'll be keeping an eye on him. He'll be fine. He just needs to get it all out of his system." Lydia replied.

It wasn't too much longer before Scott pulled up to the house and parked in the garage after Lydia opened it with a clicker.

Derek helped the group get settled before heading back to the truck to get Stiles out. Stiles was fast asleep and was pretty easy to get him out once Derek untangled him from his seatbelt. Stiles let out a soft sound when he was moved and slid his arms around Derek's neck. Derek shook his head a little and headed inside so he could take Stiles to his designated room.

Once Stiles was in bed, he rolled face down and nuzzled against his pillows, causing Derek to lightly huff out a laugh before he pulled the blankets over him and headed back downstairs, leaving the door open.

He decided to ease some of his pent up tension by exploring the outside of the house so he could map it out. He made a note of each entrance into the home and which ways they could escape in case anyone from Eichen found them there. When he figured he had a decent read on the house, he headed back inside to see what the others were doing. Lydia was taking a shower while Isaac and Scott started watching the television for any news. None yet.

Derek sat down in a recliner as the other two channel surfed through the news stations. They quickly decided to check again when it was prime news time and Scott put cartoons on instead to pass the time.

A door upstairs shut and Derek glanced towards the ceiling before back towards the kitchen. Hearing the sounds of a few pots clinging together, he noted that Lydia was in there preparing to cook dinner.

"I think Stiles' door just shut." He piped up.

"And?" Scott asked, not finding anything unusual about it.

"And, didn't Lydia sedate him so he'd sleep the sickness off?" Derek asked with raised eyebrows. Isaac and Scott exchanged looks before they shrugged.

"Maybe he had to go to the bathroom." Isaac replied.

Derek rolled his eyes and grabbed Scott's gun off of the coffee table. "I'm going to make sure." He stated before heading upstairs. He checked each room along the hallway to make sure no one was hiding out before seeing that Stiles' door was in fact shut. A twist of the door knob showed it was unlocked, so Derek pushed it open. Stiles was in the same exact position that Derek had left him in, so to ease his mind, Derek checked the room just in case. Nothing. A light snore came from Stiles and Derek relaxed, shaking his head as he shut the door again so he could head back downstairs.

Derek took first watch for the night, wanting to make sure that no one would sneak up on them while every one else slept. Scott took over just after three and Derek went straight to bed.

The sounds of floorboards creaking under weight woke Derek out of his restless sleep. A bleary-eyed glance towards the clock on his end table showed that it was almost just after six in the morning. The footsteps slowly walked past his room and down the steps. He listened carefully until they headed to the kitchen and he could hear the quiet shutting of the back door.

Derek pushed himself out of bed and slipped his shoes on so he could follow after the source of the steps. When he glanced down the hallway, the only open door was Stiles'. 

Passing by the living room, he noticed Scott was asleep in the recliner. Derek rolled his eyes a little and headed out the backdoor so he could look around and figure out where Stiles was had gone. He heard the soft crunching of twigs and leaves under footsteps and could see the faint silhouette of Stiles as he headed down a pathway.

The beginnings of morning light cut through the trees, just enough so that Derek could see where he was going. The dark blues of the night sky were fading away to shades of orange and red that glowed brighter the more Derek followed Stiles.

When he reached a clearing, Stiles was seated on a thick tree stump with a blanket wrapped around him. Stiles was focused on staring at the sky, one hand keeping hold of the blanket.

"What are you doing out here?" Derek asked, circling around him so he could make sure he was okay.

Stiles glanced up at him with amber and red eyes, unable to stop from smiling. The sunrise reflected in his eyes and illuminated his skin, almost making him look like he was glowing.

"I haven't really seen sunrise when I was a kid." Stiles replied, shrugging his shoulders. "So, on my first day out, I figured I may as well see one. And today's is really awesome."

Derek nodded and looked up to the sky again, sitting down beside Stiles. Stiles smiled wider and reached down, taking Derek's hand and interlocking their fingers together. Derek glanced down at their hands but didn't say anything. He was just happy to see Stiles smiling.

"We're free." Stiles sounded like he couldn't really believe it. "We're actually out of there." Stiles laughed and squeezed Derek's hand in his excitement before he let go and got to his feet, throwing his arms up and spinning a little as he took in the warmth of the rising sun. "I'm out!" He exclaimed into the sky as he faced the sun again.

Derek shook his head, trying to hide his own smile. "Yeah, we did it."

Stiles looked back at him and smiled widely, looking happier than Derek had ever seen him. "I'm glad I could share this with you."

Derek nodded, having the same thought. "I'm just happy you could experience this at all."

Stiles laughed and nodded in agreement. "Fuck yeah. See, my thoughts about you were right. I think all of my thoughts about you are right."

"What other thoughts do you have about me?" Derek asked, raising his eyebrows.

Stiles paused in his celebrating and glanced upwards so he didn't have to look at Derek as he thought about it. "Never mind that. So did you guys watch the news last night?"

"We did. There was no mention of us breaking out."

"I told you so. Eichen would never admit that level six patients got out. They brag about how secure their buildings are, so it would look really badly if the public found out that we checked ourselves out."

"So, do you think they'll track us down themselves?"

"I don't think so. I know so. They'll send people after us until we're either locked up or dead. Whatever comes first, really."

"That's a reassuring thought." Derek replied dryly.

Stiles shrugged. "It's true. But for now, we're safe. So we may as well enjoy it right?"

Derek nodded slowly, frowning to himself. He wondered when Eichen would find them, and how long it would stay this quiet. He got lost in his thoughts, trying to plan out next possible moves in case they were attacked, but snapped out of it went he heard a twig snap under Stiles' weight. He almost recoiled when Stiles's face was suddenly a few inches from his, but frowned back at him, almost challenging him.

"What?" Derek asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Don't do that." Stiles replied, raising his own eyebrows.

"Don't what?" Derek shot back.

"Don't be negative, stupid. You do that scrunched up pissed off face when you're thinking too much. And if you keep doing it, you're going to be a wrinkled by they time you're forty."

"And we can't have that, can we?" Derek asked sarcastically.

"Definitely not. You're too pretty for premature aging." Stiles pointed out with a casual shrug.

Derek raised his eyebrows. "I'm too pretty?"

"Stupidly pretty." Stiles nodded.

Derek pursed his lips and stared at Stiles with raised eyebrows. "Right."

"So, stop thinking negatively." Stiles replied, flicking his nose before pulling away.

Derek rubbed his nose when it twitched, rolling his eyes. "I can't tell if you're annoying or endearing."

"I'm both." Stiles replied with a wide smile. "Either way, you like me."

"Right. Keep thinking that."

"I will. You like spending time with me."

"I think I just put up with you for some reason." Derek replied, wanting to get back at him a little.

Stiles shrugged his shoulders a little, crossing his arms over his chest. "I guess so."

Derek sighed a little. Well that didn't have the desired effect. He stood from the stump and ruffled Stiles' hair, earning a loud whine of protest.

"I'm giving you back a taste of your medicine, brat. I don't mind spending time with you, or I wouldn't be out here with you, right?" Stiles had a stubborn frown on his face but nodded slowly.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked softly.

"You're going to ask anyways." Derek pointed out, earning a light punch in the arm.

"Jerk." Stiles huffed, rolling his eyes before his face went serious. "If things get really bad, will you stay with me?"

Derek furrowed his eyebrows, not expecting that question. He sighed and lightly pinched Stiles nose. "I thought we weren't supposed to be thinking negative. I told you I'd protect you, so if things get really bad, who do you think will be saving you?"

Stiles pushed at Derek's hand before smiling. "Lydia?"

Derek rolled his eyes and pushed a little at him. "Okay, she'd be patching us up, but I'd stop you from getting killed."

"I think that's the sweetest and most romantic thing I've ever heard in my life." Stiles teased. Derek raised his eyebrows and lightly pushed at Stiles' face to knock him back a little.

"That's because you don't know any better."

"Oh, really? So I'm guessing you're an expert in romance?" Stiles snorted.

"I have more experience than you." Derek shot back.

"Hey! Me and Lefty have been through a lot together." Derek furrowed his eyebrows a little.

"Lefty..?" Derek trailed off and huffed out a light laugh, pushing at Stiles again lightly. "You're disgusting."

Stiles wiggled his eyebrows a little at that, laughing at his own joke. "You walked right into that one anyways, so that's your fault." Derek shook his head and motioned Stiles to follow him.

"We should get back to the house before anyone wakes up and wonders where we went."

"Maybe they'd think we went out into the woods for some private time." Stiles joked.

Derek rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that morning. "Right. I'm sure that's what their first thought would be."

"Hey, I can't blame them. We're two young good looking guys. _I'd_ fuck me." Stiles pointed out.

Derek shook his head as he led the way back. "Right. If they ever start cloning people, I'll make sure you're one of the first."

Stiles laughed. "You know, for a real stick in the mud, you're actually pretty fun." He replied, walking beside Derek and nudging him.

"Maybe I'm just warming up to you." Derek replied with a shrug.

"So, you mean you weren't warming up to me weeks ago? Rude." Stiles snorted.

Derek huffed a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't mean it like that, genius. I mean, we're out here now, where we can feel normal again. So everything's different now, I guess. Like tonight, I'm going to have my first steak in months."

"Oh badass, we're having steaks? Fuck yes." Stiles beamed before sighing softly and nodding. "I get what you're saying. Like, out here, I'm starting to feel like I _am_ normal. I don't have to worry about testing anymore, or the things they did to me. I'm going to put it behind me."

Derek nodded, glancing over to him. "Is that wishful thinking, or a feeling?"

"It's both. I feel like we're going to be okay." Stiles smiled at him. "Everything's going to work out." He added as they came up to the house.

Derek nodded and took the lead so he could enter the house first. Stiles trailed behind him, his smile fading as he glanced back towards the woods. He bit at his lip and tried not to think about the bad things that were coming for them. He didn't want to think about that yet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm so proud that I've been able to write as much as I have in these two weeks of posting. This has honestly never happened before. I've been guilty of never finishing a fic, and I really want to see this all the way through! Thank you all for your support and I hope you all continue to like it and stick with me until the end!
> 
> This chapter, I have to warn you in advance, it has brief mentions of past child abuse and unintentional self-harm. Again, I tried to make it as untriggering as possible, just in case.

By the time eight o'clock rolled around, everyone else in the house was waking up. Lydia helped Stiles work on making breakfast since Stiles was so adamant about trying it, but she was mostly there to just keep an eye on what he did and help out so he didn't end up poisoning everyone in the house. While they did that, Derek headed upstairs to take a shower. It felt amazing to enjoy a full, hot shower for once. The showers at the Eichen hospital fluctuated between lukewarm and cold, and the water pressure was less than desirable. Once he was out and dried off, he changed into some of the clothes that Lydia had picked out for him. Derek was a little surprised at how well the gray henley and dark stonewashed jeans fit; Lydia definitely knew how to pick things out. 

Derek honestly enjoyed the feeling of getting to wear something other than standard issue patient outfits. He sighed to himself and sauntered downstairs to get some orange juice out of the refrigerator. He could hear Scott and Stiles laughing, but they were nowhere in sight. 

"Where'd they go?" He asked Lydia, taking a swig of the juice. Lydia rolled her eyes. 

"They're setting the table and hitting on each other." Derek raised his eyebrows and paused in lowering the glass. 

"They're doing what?" Lydia shook her head and motioned to the dining room. Derek almost wondered if he actually wanted to know. He sighed and walked in anyways, keeping his eyebrows raised. Scott and Stiles were currently seated at the table and laughing. 

"You're so terrible." Scott replied, smiling as he leaned back in his chair. 

"Oh that's nothing." Stiles cackled before noticing Derek in the doorway. He grinned and lifted his silverware. "Hey, hey, Derek. Can I _fork_ you, _knifely_?" He asked lamely.

Derek stared at Stiles in silence and slowly processed what he just said. Instead of encouraging him with a response, he turned around and walked back into the kitchen. Stiles and Scott just began laughing harder and Derek only ignored them. Lydia pursed her lips and stared at him with an expression on her face that could only be read as 'I told you so'. Derek rolled his eyes a little in response. 

"How long has this been going on?" 

"Twenty minutes." She huffed, going back to finishing breakfast for everyone. 

"I'm surprised you haven't thrown something at them. I would've." Lydia laughed and shook her head. 

"Why do you think I sent them to go do something else?" She replied before remembering something. "Stiles, come here!" 

Stiles poked his head in, eyebrows raised. "What's up?" 

"I need to check your eyes." She replied, motioning him closer. Stiles nodded and trudged over, ducking a little so she could see them better. Lydia looked in them and nodded to assure him. 

"They're almost healed. There's just a little bit of redness left." Derek looked over, curious to see it for himself. Stiles' hemorrhage from his injections from almost a week ago had reduced to just a red ring around his eyes. 

"Sounds good to me. They're not sensitive anymore and I'm feeling better. Other than some headaches every now and again, but I'm used to those." He replied. "If they get bad, let me know and I'll give you some medicine to help them out." 

"Sounds good, so is breakfast done?" He asked with a grin. 

Breakfast was soon finished and the dishes were placed in the dishwasher minutes later. The group had decided on spending the next few hours in the living room watching movies. Once the first of them finished, Isaac got to his feet to start another one. As he turned around, he noticed something and furrowed his eyebrows. "Stiles?" 

Derek looked over and noticed why Isaac looked concerned. Stiles had his knees to his chest and a blank look on his face as he mouthed silently to himself. He didn't respond to Isaac and barely even blinked. Isaac reached out to shake him but before he could touch him, Stiles grabbed his wrist and began squeezing. Isaac cried out and tried to pull away, but Stiles refused to let go.

"Don't touch me." Stiles murmured, tightening his grip. 

"Stiles, let go!" Scott exclaimed, reaching out to try and get pull him off of Isaac. Stiles blinked and looked up in surprise, releasing his grip right away.

"What was that about?" Isaac snapped, rubbing the marks on his wrist. 

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at his hand. "Sorry, I was thinking about something." He mumbled, getting to his feet. "I'm going to take a shower." He stated and didn't wait for a response before he walked upstairs. 

The rest of the group remained silent and watched him go before looking to one another. Since no one had an answer to what that was about, they decided to just focus on the movie instead. Towards the middle of the movie, Lydia glanced upwards before looking to Derek. 

"He's been up there for a while." She pointed out. 

"Do you want me to go check on him?" He asked, earning a nod in response. 

Derek nodded back and got to his feet and walked up to the bathroom. He tapped his knuckles lightly against the door, hearing the shower still going. "Stiles? Is everything okay in there?" No response. Derek tried knocking again. Still nothing. He considered just going back downstairs, but something didn't feel right. Maybe he passed out in the shower? Derek gave one more knock before he opened the door. 

He had to blink a few times at the density of the steam in the shower and wondered if Stiles just left the shower running. He did seem out of it. As Derek stepped closer to the shower with the intent of shutting it off, he came face to face with Stiles. Stiles stood with the shower curtain open, staring blankly at Derek. 

"Stiles? Are you okay?" He asked, but didn't get a reaction. It was almost like Stiles didn't even realize he was there. "Stiles?" He repeated, cupping his face in his hands. 

Stiles still stared ahead, barely blinking as Derek gently slapped his hand on his cheek to try and snap him out of it. "Stiles." Derek repeated a little louder. Stiles' expression didn't change as he reached up and shoved hard at Derek. 

Derek stumbled back and was about to yell at him to get him to react. That was before he noticed just how red Stiles' left side was from the hot water scalding him. "Oh my god." He exhaled, quickly shutting the water off and grabbing Stiles' by his upper arms before shaking him. "Stiles, snap out of it!" He shouted. 

Stiles recoiled and blinked before he furrowed his eyebrows. "Derek? What the hell is going on?" He asked before crying out and doubling over. It was almost as if he was just noticing how hot the water was.

Derek grabbed a robe off of the hanger and draped it over him. "Come on, get out of the shower." He mumbled, helping him out of it. "Stiles, what's going on? Why did you do this to yourself?" 

"I don't know." Stiles murmured, looking at the redness of his left arm. Derek sighed through his nose and got him into bed before getting Lydia. Since his burns were only first degree, Lydia rubbed in some aloe Vera and suggested he only wear boxers for now. 

Stiles shuffled back downstairs with Derek keeping a close eye on him. Stiles sighed to himself and propped his feet up in the recliner as he tried to think of what to say. "I'm sorry. I think I'm just in a fog today. I think my body's trying coming down from having something that strong forced into it." He tried to rationalize. 

"We'll keep an eye on you to be safe. Just so you don't get hurt again." Scott assured him. 

Stiles nodded and focused on tracing a small scar on his knee. Derek looked over the mark and furrowed his brow once he noticed others like it. "What happened to your leg?" Stiles glanced up to Derek before gazing back down to the scar. 

"Oh, I tried to escape several years ago and Gerard caught me." Stiles replied with a shrug before sighing. "He told me 'you can never truly cage a bird unless you clip its wings' and broke my leg." 

Derek cringed and felt bile rise at the back of his throat from the mixture of rage and disgust. He must have been scowling since Stiles' eyes widened a little and he began trying to ease Derek's anger. 

"Oh, don't worry. They made sure that it healed well. I don't even think I have any leftover problems." He said quickly. 

"That's not the point!" Derek snapped at him. Stiles flinched at his raised voice and leaned back in the recliner. "So, what? Because it healed fine, that makes it okay?" 

"No, that's not what I'm saying." Stiles replied. 

"Then what? Do you not care that they've tortured you nonstop for eight years? That you've gone into a zombie-like state twice today because they've put so many drugs, and who knows what else in you?" Derek didn't mean to take his anger out on Stiles. He was just furious at Gerard and Stiles didn't make calming down easier with how calmly he was talking about everything. 

Stiles pushed himself to his feet and shot Derek a scowl. "Thanks. You sure know how to make people feel better." He stated before turning and storming upstairs. 

Scott was silent for a few moments before he spoke up. "That wasn't cool, Derek." He pointed out. 

"I know!" Derek snapped at him before sighing and putting his head in his hands. "I know." He repeated softer. "I just hate Gerard so much for the things he's done to everyone, and especially for what he's done to Stiles. I snapped." 

"So go apologize to Stiles." Scott replied with a shrug. 

Derek sighed through his nose and nodded before walking up the stairs. He knocked on Stiles' open door to get his attention. Stiles sniffed hard and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. 

"What? Was there more you needed to say?" Stiles asked in a cold voice, closing himself off from him. 

Derek sighed and sat down beside him on the bed. "I didn't mean what I said. Just seeing what happened to you, it pissed me off that Gerard could think that that was okay. Who knows what all he's even done to you?" 

"I try not to remember." Stiles pointed out, raising his eyebrows.

Derek nodded a little and sighed as he tried to think of what else to say. "So, I'm sorry I took it out on you. You were just trying to help." He mumbled. 

"You're bad at feelings, aren't you?" Derek rolled his eyes a little. 

"You sound like my fiancé. She would tell me that every now and again." Stiles grimaced a little.

"That's the opposite of what I want to sound like. I mean, in the sense of bringing up bad memories. But since it's up in the air anyways, who dumped who?" 

"She did. Right before I ended up at Eichen." Derek replied with a shake of his head.

"Sounds like an awesome week." Stiles pointed out, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "So, do you still love her?" 

Derek thought about it before shaking his head. "I think a small part of me does, but otherwise I don't think so." 

"Good, does that mean I have a chance?" Stiles blurted out without missing a beat. 

Derek raised his eyebrows and stared at Stiles in disbelief. "You're not subtle at all, are you?" 

Stiles shrugged and thought about it. "Depends. If it's something I really want, I don't feel like wasting time and being subtle. I like to dive in head first." 

"Apparently." Derek snorted. 

"Then I'll be extremely unsubtle. Can I kiss you? Like, actually kiss. Not like a thank fuck we're out of that evil place and we lived sort of kiss like last time. It doesn't even have to be that romantic or last. I guess...If I die in some accident or something, I'd want to know what it's like to actually kiss someone." Derek closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. 

"Stiles, I just finished being annoyed at you a few seconds ago."

"So is that a no?" Stiles asked, shifting on the bed. Derek contemplated the pros and cons of letting Stiles test it out. 

Despite his awkwardness, Derek could sort of see where he was coming from. None of them knew how much time they'd have before Eichen hunted them down and Stiles had no romantic experience whatsoever. His adolescent years of being locked up saw to that.

"What's the worst that can happen?" Stiles asked with a laugh, trying not to look too hopeful. "I mean, it's totally platonic."

"Right, you just want to 'platonically' kiss someone." Derek stated, causing Stiles to laugh. "If it's platonic, why are you asking me?"

"Because I don't want to make out with my old best friend, I once crushed on Lydia, so no, and I don't know Isaac that well. Plus, I almost broke his wrist."

Derek looked towards the ceiling with a sigh and shook his head. He couldn't believe he was doing this. "Fine. Close your eyes and relax." He mumbled, wanting to do it his own way if Stiles wanted a kiss. 

Stiles nodded quickly and swallowed hard, probably out of nerves before closing his eyes. Derek watched him for a moment, looking over his face before he took a slow breath and rested a hand on the back of his neck. "Relax." He said again as Stiles fidgeted, rubbing small circles with his thumb until he did. Derek glanced up at him one more time before he leaned forwards and gingerly brushed his lips against Stiles'. 

Stiles inhaled shakily through his nose before he slowly eased into the kiss and allowed Derek to deepen it. Derek lightly ran his tongue along his bottom lip and pulled away. No small amount of pride bubbled in his chest when Stiles leaned forwards a little. The way that Stiles looked a little dazed helped too. 

"There. Happy?" Stiles nodded quickly. Derek nodded and pat Stiles' thigh as he stood. "Good. Now try to get some rest. I think you're still not done recovering from the injection."

"Yeah." Stiles murmured but didn't really seemed to have been paying attention to what he was saying. Derek shook his head and headed back downstairs. 

That evening, Derek slept earlier so he could take watch later on that night and woke up at around midnight. The first thing he did was take a look around the house. He double checked to make sure that everyone was asleep and that all the doors and windows had been locked. Derek checked on Scott, Isaac, and Lydia first as he went down the hall; So far so good. 

Once he got to Stiles' room, he pushed open the door and furrowed his eyebrows when he discovered it empty. Stiles' shoes were next to the bed though, so maybe he was downstairs. Derek took quiet steps down the stairs to check and tensed up when he realized the backdoor was wide open. 

He quickly grabbed a flashlight off of the counter and slipped his shoes on so he could rush outside after him. "Stiles?" He called, heading first towards the area Stiles had gone to when he had wanted to see the sunrise. No sign of Stiles there. 

Derek forced down his panic and began heading another way, calling for him again. Could someone have come in and taken him? No, if they did, they wouldn't have left the others untouched. Hearing a twig snap in the distance, Derek ran towards the sound and hoped for any sign of him. 

As he got farther down and closer to the river that lead into the lake, he could see footprints in the mud. "Stiles!" He called again. Derek pointed the flashlight around to illuminate his surroundings as he followed the footsteps. He thought it was all for nothing until he noticed red shirt several yards away. When he caught up to Stiles, he circled around him and furrowed his eyebrows. 

Stiles stood with his eyes closed, swaying a little on his feet. Had he been sleepwalking? Derek placed his hands on his shoulders and sighed when Stiles leaned into him. "You're so high maintenance." He mumbled, shaking his head and reaching to hitch his arm under Stiles' legs so he could carry him back to the house. 

The first thing he did when they got them back was completely lock up the backdoor. Next, he cleaned the mud off Stiles' feet while taking extra care to not wake him. He didn't want Lydia to murder them for someone tracking mud on the carpets. Once Stiles' feet were clean and Derek's shoes were off, Derek took him upstairs. He debated on putting Stiles back to bed but decided against it and took Stiles to his room instead so he could watch over him there. The last thing he wanted was for Stiles to wander off again. When he tried to put the sleeping nineteen year-old down and Stiles circled his arms around his neck. Judging by the grip he had, he had no intention of letting go.

"Stiles." Derek whispered, trying to get him to relax and ease his grip enough to pull him off. No response. Derek tried a few more times to get free before he had to roll his eyes. "Of course." He mumbled and reluctantly gave in and as he climbed back into bed. 

"You're ridiculous." Stiles tightened his grip a little and buried his face in Derek's chest, sighing in content. Derek shivered at the coldness of Stiles' face and sighed as he rubbed his back. "You're lucky that I'm taking care of you." He thought out loud, but despite his words, Derek felt content.


	9. Chapter 9

Derek couldn't hear the screams anymore. He could still make out the smoke in the distance, could smell it in the air. He ran through the trees, fighting branches and ducking under them to get away faster. Everyone was dead; Ambushed in the middle of the night. They burned the house to the ground.

Derek could barely breathe. Panic and adrenaline coursed throughout his body and it was the only thing to keep on his feet.

His bare feet were raw from stepping on sharp rocks and branches, but he had to keep going. He couldn't stop. He had to find him.

He had to find Stiles.

His lungs burned from a mixture of smoke inhalation and running through the darkness. His heart pounded in his chest and he could hear his blood pumping wildly in his ears. He skidded to a stop beside a tree and rested his hand against the large trunk to support himself. He listened carefully, struggling to listen for any sign of where he could have been taken.

A scream in the distance sent him running again, cutting left through the woods. Derek's legs finally gave out, sending him tumbling face first into grass. He pushed himself up, panting heavily and spitting out any dirt and grass that found its way into his mouth. Derek cast his gaze upwards and swallowed hard at the sight of a weathered brick Victorian house. A light flickered in the house, and a cry of pain cry of pain echoed from inside its walls.

Derek grabbed a large rock to use as a weapon and forced himself to his feet again before rushing inside the house. The door creaked as he pushed it open and he listened for any other sound of movement. Something thumped in a room at the end of the hall before quieting again. Derek started there, trying to keep quiet and watch where he stepped.

With a shaky hand, he pushed the door open and instantly felt sick. Gerard had Stiles tied up in a chair and was currently holding a gun to Stiles' head.

"You can't save him, Derek. Remember that." Gerard said simply. 

  


Stiles screamed out Derek's name, trying to yank his head out of Gerard's hold. The booming noise of the gun sounded off and Stiles was gone.

Derek shot up, breathing heavily as he yelled out Stiles' name.

"Derek?" Derek jumped at Stiles' voice and turned to face him before looking around the room. He was back in his bedroom. So that was all just a nightmare? "I'm here."  
Stiles assured him softly, reaching out to rub his arm. "Are you okay?"

Derek nodded slowly as he caught his breath and sat back. "It was just a nightmare."

"Yeah, I figured. You were fighting in your sleep, so I was trying to wake you up. Very unsuccessfully might I add."

Derek nodded and sat back, exhaling slowly as he tried to calm his heart rate. "I can't remember the last time I had a nightmare."

"You wouldn't." Derek furrowed his eyebrows and glanced over to Stiles questioningly. "It's part of the dream therapy, I guess. They block some of our dreams so we don't remember them while they record them or something. Kind of a way they control us, I guess. So, congrats. You had your first outpatient nightmare."

Derek rolled his eyes before sitting up and staring into Stiles' eyes. They were still just a little red. Stiles raised his eyebrows and leaned back.

"What's up?" Derek shook his head a little and relaxed on the bed again.

"Nothing." Stiles nodded, pursing his lips together before a mischievous look appeared on his face.

"So...Care to tell me why exactly I woke up in your bed?" Derek tensed a little. He didn't really think about how he would have to explain that part. Derek sighed and dragged his hand down his face.

"You sleepwalk."

"So, I walked...to your bed?" Stiles asked with a laugh.

"No, you actually almost fell in a river. I brought you back here to watch over you, and you held on and refused to let go."

Stiles nodded and lay down beside Derek. "Makes sense. I'm a natural born cuddler." Derek rolled his eyes a little before he remembered Gerard's words.

 _You can't save him._ He swallowed down the knot in his throat and looked over to Stiles. He unconsciously reached out and brushed his fingers against his arm. He just needed to reassure himself that this was real.

"You sure you're okay?" Stiles asked him softly, looking really concerned for him.

Derek nodded and dropped his arm. "I was just thinking. Gerard has a lot of power, doesn't he? Is he just head doctor at that 'treatment' center?"

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "No. Gerard's not just a doctor. He pretty much runs the whole thing."

"Wait, he's in charge of Eichen?"

Stiles nodded, tracing Derek's arm. "He just spent a lot of time at that hospital so he could keep track of me."

"Just you specifically?"

"I think he considers me patient zero or something like that." Stiles shrugged as he looked up to Derek again. "I have no idea what his goal with me was. I just want to stay away from him."

Derek nodded in understanding. "I'll keep you away from him. He's not going to get his hands on you again."

"Thank you." Stiles rubbed his eyes and sighed. "We can't stay here long. It's just not enough that we got out of there. We need to take down the whole company too. They're not gonna stop what they're doing unless we make them."

Derek nodded. "I understand. Are you sure we can bring them down?"

Stiles nodded and looked into Derek's eyes for a moment. "We have to. I know you can do it. You can save us."

Derek thought back on his nightmare. "Why do you have so much faith in me?" Stiles shrugged and sat up.

"All I know is that is has to be you. You're the one that can stop this." Derek wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that, but so far Stiles hadn't been wrong when it came to his feelings. Maybe if they got far enough into their plan and got closer to taking Eichen down, he could start to believe it.

"Alright. I just know that we can't do this alone."

"What are you thinking?" Stiles asked, watching him with a curious look on his face.

"First, we need to talk to the others, and then we'll start coming up with what our next move is."

Stiles nodded and pat his shoulder. "Sounds good. Everyone else is downstairs. Lunch is almost ready." Derek furrowed his eyebrows and looked back to his clock, seeing that it was nearing eleven. How had he managed to sleep so much? He hated that he had such a vivid nightmare since it still didn't feel like he really had gotten that much sleep.

Stiles climbed out of bed and bounced on the balls of his feet. "And that's why I was supposed to come wake you. But, you look like shit, so maybe take a shower and see if that helps you feel better."

Derek huffed lightly at his words and shook his head. "Thanks for that."

"It's what I'm here for." Stiles beamed at him and turned towards the door.

"Hey." Derek spoke up to get his attention. "If anything strange happens to you, like black outs or anything else, you'll tell me right?"

Stiles nodded at that. "Yeah, I will." He replied before leaving him alone.

Derek stayed in bed for a few more minutes until he had to force himself out and into the bathroom.

The hot shower eased the left over tension in his shoulders and helped him feel more awake the longer he stayed under the hot water. It didn't take much longer until he felt completely relaxed. The nightmare was no longer even on his mind, circling down the drain with hot water and soap. Derek didn't want to leave the peaceful comfort of the shower, but reluctantly exited.

By the time Derek was dressed and downstairs, everyone was already gathering for breakfast. Once he took his seat, they began to 

"So, if we're going to take down the whole company, we're obviously going to need more people." Lydia stated as she crossed her arms and rested them on the table. "That's no offense to us, but it was hard enough for us to get out of one hospital. Needless to say, it's going to be another thing to try and take them down."

Derek nodded in agreement, drumming his fingers on the table. "I might have a contact that we can use. My old partner on the police force was in this anti-Eichen group. She joined up with them a few months before I was admitted to the hospital."

"Can you get in touch with her?" Scott asked curiously.

Derek nodded. "I think I'll be able to. If I can, we can get to their compound and go over our plan. They have numbers and if they agree to help us, then it'll be easier for us to figure out where we need to start."

"If they agree. Do we just walk in and tell them we want to take Eichen down?" Isaac asked with raised eyebrows.

"They'd probably like that." Stiles pointed out, leaning back in his chair. "If they agree to help us, it'll help a lot."

"Do you have a feeling about it?" Scott asked, earning a roll of Stiles' eyes.

"I'm trying to feel optimistic. You guys do realize that I don't have 'feelings' about literally everything, right?" Stiles sighed and scratched at his hair. "I'm just trying to think strategically about steps we need to take. It'll be easier to think if I know we have more support behind us."

"That makes sense." Scott nodded in agreement.

Stiles gave a nod in return and got to his feet. "Derek, you should try calling her. I'm going to take a quick shower. If we get in touch, it'll be better to move on sooner than later so we can get to wherever they're holding up."

"That sounds good, but are you sure you're okay to shower? What if you go into a weird state again?" Isaac asked, drumming his fingers on the table.

Stiles snorted a little at that. "Well, then check on me in ten minutes." He shrugged before heading upstairs.

Lydia got her disposable cellphone out and handed it over to Derek. "Do you remember the phone number?"

Derek nodded and got to his feet as he dialed the number before holding the phone to his ear.

 

Upstairs, Stiles stood in front of the mirror and breathed slowly through his nose as he closed his eyes. The pressure of a headache throbbed in his head, but thankfully it wasn't too bad yet. He honestly just felt tired. Maybe after his shower he could try to get a decent nap in while everyone else figured out what else they needed to do.  


Stiles opened his eyes again at the feeling of something wet running down his face. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of crimson trickling out of his eyes. He swallowed hard, wiping one of the trails off before looking down to his fingers. He glanced up again towards the mirror and leaned forwards to get a better look at them. Upon further examination, Stiles realized that the rings of red around his eyes were completely gone. It was all thanks to the blood seeping down his cheeks.

He looked at his fingers and took a curious sniff, expecting a coppery scent. Instead, he got a whiff of a strong medicinal smell. So it wasn't blood? Stiles swallowed hard before washing his hands and wiped his face with tissues. He discarded them into the toilet and flushed them to get rid of any evidence. This was something he needed to keep to himself.

Stiles cast one last look to the mirror before getting into the shower as planned. He needed to forget about what just happened.

 

Derek had managed to make contact with Braeden and briefly discussed the base of their plans. The conversation was mostly about being out, and that he wanted to meet with her group. He discovered that known as the Free Dreamers. Braeden had given him a set of coordinates before they disconnected the phone call. Once Derek found the location, he felt relieved that it was only a several hour drive away. He had been hoping that they weren't across the country.

After Stiles came down after his shower, Derek spoke of the plan. The first idea was to start packing with the intentions of leaving right away. The sooner they got there, the better.

No one in the group had any qualms about it and each member left for their rooms so they could throw everything they needed into their bags.

Once everything was just about ready to load into the truck, Stiles followed Derek outside so he could help.

"I can't wait to see this compound. Who knows what it'll be like?" Stiles laughed a little. "Maybe it'll be something awesome like a fortress of some sort. It could also be like some weird, sad looking place with crumbled houses and even sadder people."

Derek rolled his eyes a little. "Honestly, I don't care what it looks like as long as we have allies."

Stiles snorted a little. "Obviously, but it's still a little better to have allies that are well prepared, right?"

"Right, but I don't think the housing should really matter. Especially if they're in circumstances where they'd have to move around."

"You're totally sucking the fun out of this." Derek shook his head and glanced back to him.

"Fine. Maybe they live in a fortress. Would that make you happy?"

"Hell yeah." Stiles beamed at him. Derek sighed a little and motioned for the next bag.

Stiles started to bend down to grab it but tensed up and looked up to Derek with wide eyes.

"Stiles, what's wrong?"

Stiles looked down the driveway and swallowed hard. "Do you have Scott's gun on you?"

Derek reflexively reached for when it was resting in the back of his jeans. "Why?"

"You're going to need it."

Before Derek could ask what was happening, he heard the sound of a vehicle coming up the long driveway. Derek cursed and shut the doors to the garage before he locked them.

"Go hide." He ordered Stiles as he turned off the safety.

Stiles nodded and turned around before he rushed off. Derek crouched low along the side of the house and watched as the truck stopped a good distance away from the house. He recognized the Eichen symbol on the door and mentally cursed their luck. A guard exited the vehicle and loaded his gun. The man began walking towards the house while glancing around for any sign of them. Derek just hoped that Stiles had gotten back to the others and warned them.

"Derek, are you ready to go?" Scott called as he opened the side door. Derek tensed up as the guard raised his gun towards the sound.

Derek acted fast, standing and firing his gun. He managed to land a hit on the attacker, clipping his side. The guard yelled out and turned towards Derek, firing at him. Derek tried to get out of the way but yelled out as stabbing pain shoot through his shoulder. Fuck.

Derek tried to stay steady and fired again at the guard until he was down. He panted heavily and leaned back against the house while Scott prepared for the next attack. Derek pressed his hand over his shoulder and tried to slow the bleeding.

"No, no, no!" He heard Stiles quickly yell. Stiles was at his side again and trying to get a look at the damage despite the way Derek was doing his best to keep it hidden.

"Hey, Stiles, look at me." Derek ordered, trying to get Stiles to look into his eyes. "It's not that bad. Get out of here, you're not safe out here."

Stiles shook his head at that. "They shot you..." He whispered, starting to hyperventilate. He visibly started to shake as he continued to repeat those three weeks.

"Stiles, get inside!" Derek said in a harsher tone in an attempt to snap him out of it.

Stiles tensed up and looked up at Derek before his face went blank. Derek glanced past him and saw the other doors of the truck opening. "Stiles, go." His voice faltered when he looked at Stiles' eyes and saw how far they were dilating. "Stiles?"

As Stiles' eyes dilated, the truck doors slammed shut behind them. The truck levitated off of the ground momentarily before it quickly rocketed backwards. It smashed to the ground upside down with an echoing crash. Derek cringed at the noise created by the crunching metal and shattering glass as it began grinding more against the ground. Stiles stared straight ahead with shaking shoulders as blood steadily trickled from his nostrils. Derek needed to get him to stop this before he hurt himself further.

"Stiles, I need you to listen to me. Whatever you're doing, you need to stop." Derek tried to keep his voice calm as he reached out to Stiles in an attempt to get his attention.

Stiles' eyes widened at the sight of Derek's blood and his pupils expanded as he exhaled in terror. He whirled his head to face the smashed truck with a desperate look on his face balled his hands into fists. The truck's gas tank crumpled and exploded, enveloping the truck in a ball of flames to end the battle.

Stiles closed his eyes and fell to his knees as he panted, pressing the hell of his palm to his temple. Derek stared at the ruined vehicle, unable to believe what he just witnessed.

"Stiles?" He whispered, struggling to find his voice.

"We need to go." Stiles whispered as he rubbed his arms, sniffing hard and staring at the ground. "We...We need to go."

Derek swallowed hard and sighed through his nose. "Are you okay?"

Stiles shook his head and closed his eyes tightly. "I did that. I just killed those guys."

Derek reached out with his good arm and pulled Stiles close to try and comfort him. Stiles numbly went along with him, resting his head on his shoulder. Derek carded his fingers through his still damp hair. "They were trying to kill us. It was either us or them. You saved us, alright?"

Stiles exhaled shakily and closed his eyes tightly as he slid his arms around Derek's waist. The poor kid broke down in his hold. "Oh my god...What did they do to me?"

Derek shook his head. "I don't know." He murmured to him. "But we're going to find out."

"Stiles? What happened? What did you do? _How_ did you do that?" Scott asked as he stumbled over. Derek shot Scott a sour look, trying to indicate to him that now was definitely not the best time.

Scott recoiled at the look and motioned to the house. "I'm just going to get Lydia so she can fix your arm." He mumbled awkwardly and heading inside.

Derek watched him leave before looking back down to Stiles. "This wasn't your fault, Stiles. You saved us." He spoke up. "We'll figure out what they did, and how we can control it. You didn't do anything wrong."

Stiles sighed and lifted a hand to wipe at his eyes. "They hurt you and it just...I don't know, I panicked."

"And you stopped them. That's okay." Derek tried to assure him, pulling away so he could look at his eyes and made sure his pupils were normal again. "We're going to go inside now and get this patched up, get you cleaned up, then we'll get on the road, okay?"

Stiles nodded and let go. "Okay." He said softly, stepping back and crossing his arms over his chest.

Derek nodded and led the way back inside. Lydia forced Derek to sit at the kitchen table while Stiles went upstairs to take care of his bloody nose. Isaac seated himself across the table with Scott in the chair beside him.

"He did all of that with his mind?" Lydia asked, keeping her voice low.

Derek nodded at that. "There's no other way he could have done it. His eyes dilated and he attacked the truck." He mumbled as Lydia numbed the bullet hole so she could stitch it shut. He was just relieved that the bullet went clean through.

Lydia nodded a little and let out a sigh. "I wonder what else they did to him."

"Should we have taken him with us?" Isaac spoke up and earned a dirty look from the others. "No offense to Stiles, but we don't know what else he can do...They could turn him against us, and we'd really be in trouble."

"Stiles deserves to be out more than we do." Derek stated. "He went through _eight_ years of torture. We just saw an example of what they've done to him. He's terrified. He's not going to turn against us."

Isaac nodded a little. "I'm sorry...You're right. The telekinetic thing is just really worrying me."

"Think of how freaked out he must be." Derek retorted, looking down to his shoulder as Lydia started to stitch.

Once he was bandaged up, the group got into the truck and started driving towards the Free Dreamers' compound. Isaac was in the front with Scott so Lydia could sit in the back with Derek in case she needed to check the wound. Derek had been placed in the middle for that very reason while Stiles stared out the window. He anxiously chewed at his thumbnail and lost himself in his thoughts.

Stiles soon looked over to Derek and swallowed slowly, reaching down and taking his hand. "Are you scared of me?" He whispered to him.

Derek shook his head at that. "No. I just want to know what they did to you."

Stiles nodded a little and rested his head on Derek's good shoulder. "I'm scared out of my freaking mind."

"I know, but we'll figure out how to control it. If they want to use whatever you can do, we won't let them."

"Thank you." Stiles mumbled, closing his eyes and starting to relax. Derek nodded a little and draped his arm around him as an attempt to help him feel better.

"Damn, no one ever tells you that telekinetic outbursts take so much out of you." Derek shook his head and rubbed his shoulder.

"That's because you don't know how to control it yet. But until we can figure out how to control it, I don't think you should be trying it either." Stiles looked up to him and nodded. He sighed and cast his gaze out the window.

"So, there's something I might need you to do. Actually, this goes for all of you."

Scott glanced up through the rear-view mirror. "What is it?"

"If Eichen ever takes me again, and you guys have the chance to, someone needs to kill me." Derek tensed up and looked down to Stiles as shocked silence fell over the car.

"Stiles, that's not something we can do! We can't kill you. Why would you want that?" Scott asked incredulously.

"Because I've thought about it!" Stiles snapped. "Whatever the fuck they've done to me, whatever the fuck they want me for, I don't want them to have it. So, if it comes down to it, I want someone to kill me if there's no other way to get me away."

Derek sighed and lifted his hand that was currently resting on Stiles's upper arm to brush his fingers against his temple. "We won't kill you. We'll figure something else out."

Stiles pulled away from Derek's touch with a scowl on his face. "No. There's nothing to figure out. None of us know what all they did to me, and I'm not going to go back there and find out." He retorted, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring out the window. Derek pulled his arm away from him and attempted to give him as much space as he could in the truck's backseat.  


At nightfall when the moon was high in the sky, the truck pulled up to the gates of the safe house. From here, they couldn't see the building due to the trees surrounding the gates. As the truck slowed to a stop, the headlights on a car parked on the other side of the gates flashed its lights twice.

“How many times do we supposed to flash them back?” Scott asked, loosening his grip on the steering wheel.

“Three times.” Derek responded, watching as Scott flashed the lights back at them. The car door opened and someone got out, heading over to the gate’s keypad before unlocking the gate. Scott slowly drove them through the opening doors, rolling down his window to get a better look at the watchman.

A young black man stood against the car with a sub machine gun resting in his hands. He watched the group with no real expression on his face. “Just go straight up the driveway and to the house. Everyone else is there.” He spoke up, motioning up the driveway.

Scott nodded and drove up the rest of the driveway. Derek wasn’t sure what’d he’d been expecting the safe house to look like, but he definitely wasn’t expecting a massive mansion. 

The large house illuminated from the lights inside, giving it a warm, welcoming feeling. As they parked in the driveway, Derek could see Braeden and another man leaving the house to come out and greet them.

After leaving the truck, Derek found himself pulled into a tight hug from Braeden. "I couldn't believe it when I heard that they locked you up. Are you okay?" She asked, pulling back and looking him over.

"Honestly, I'm just glad to be out of there." Derek replied. 

Braeden nodded and pulled away so she could motion to the man beside her. "This is Chris. He's one of the ones that started this whole thing. This is his house."

"It's nice to meet you, Braeden's told me a little bit about you all. You're all welcome to stay here. Right now, there's enough space for you all to have your own rooms. We’ll start talking later, but for now, you should all just go get settled.” Derek nodded at Chris’ words and rubbed his eyes. The long drive was really taking a toll on all of them. “Afterwards, if you really want to, you can meet me back downstairs and we can talk more.”

Derek nodded at that. “Alright, thank you for taking us in.” He replied before yawning. 

Braeden led the group upstairs and showed them each their own rooms, letting them go one by one. At the end of one of the hallways, the last two rooms belonged to Stiles and Derek. As Stiles turned towards the room claimed as his, Derek reached out to gently grab his shoulder. Stiles shied away from his touch, turning and glancing up at him. Since asking everyone to kill him, Stiles hadn't really talked throughout the rest of the card ride. Derek figured he was just still cogitating about everything that was going on that day.

"What?" Stiles asked, leaning back against the wall to avoid being touched.

"I just wanted to tell you to sleep well, and if you need me, I'm right next door." Derek replied, keeping his voice soft. He didn't want to try to upset him further somehow.

Stiles looked between Derek and Braeden before nodding. "I figured. Night." And with that, he entered the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

"He okay?" Braeden asked, raising an eyebrow as Derek led the way into his own room.

"He's just been through a lot. He's the one I told you about, the one that's been trapped there for eight years."

"Stilinski's kid?" She asked, glancing back towards the hallway.

"Yeah." Derek murmured simply, dropping his bag on the floor and sitting on the bed.

"You know, Stilinski's one of us. He sort of unofficially joined in not too long after you were taken. I guess he's just been wanting to find answers. Some of us have been trying to see if we could find his kid for him."

"Are you going to tell him?" Braeden leaned against the door, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You don't want me to?"

Derek clasped his hands together, interlocking his fingers as he looked up towards the hallway. "It's not up to me. Right now, I don't think he can see them."

Braeden raised an eyebrow at that. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"That kid in there, they experimented on him. They did horrible things to him. I saw a little bit of the effects of it today...It's not good. He's one reason why I want to take the company down so badly." He mumbled. "I want to take down Gerard."

"Gerard was the one experimenting on him? Doesn't surprise me. You'll have to make sure you mention that to Chris. He'll definitely want to know, and not just because he's in charge."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Why's that?"

Braeden pursed her lips together, debating on whether or not to tell him. "This is going to piss you off, but he's Gerard's son."

Derek tensed up, looking down to his back and wondering how fast they could get out if they needed to. "Gerard has more kids? How do we know we can trust Chris?"

"He's proven himself more times than I can count. Believe me, if he wasn't trustworthy, none of us would be here. If he tried to hide it, I'd be more suspicious, but he's open about it. He's a really good leader and has proven that. I wouldn't bring you here otherwise." Derek sighed and started to relax. That was true. With how cautious Braeden was, she wouldn't have brought them there if she wasn't completely sure about things. "Now, before you start overthinking about everything like you usually do, you should try to get some sleep. You look like you're going to pass out."

Derek nodded, sighing as he lifted his hands and ran them down his face. "It's been a long day."

"It's only going to get harder from here." Braeden pointed out, earning a tired nod.

"I know. But at least we're not doing this alone."

"Very true. It's already like the old days, with me saving your ass." Derek let out a tired laugh at that.

"Right. I really owe you one."

"You owe me a lot, but like I said, we'll worry about everything tomorrow. Sleep well, Derek." She gave him a final wave before leaving him alone again.

Derek tilted his head back and closed his eyes as he listened to the door shut. He toed his shoes off and kicked them aside, too tired to change out of his clothes. Once his head his the pillow, Derek was out.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had completely missed that I accidentally had double posted chapter nine recently, so that explains the update but no chapter. I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out, life has been crazy but I think I'm out of my writing block now! Thank you all for reading and continuing to stick with me!

Chapter 10

Derek had almost forgotten how good it felt to be able to sleep somewhere without having to worry about something going wrong in the middle of the night. He woke up early the next morning, actually feeling well rested for once.

After changing out of his clothes from the day before, he made his way downstairs so that he could get a feel for the safe house.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Chris was exiting a nearby room. He looked up to Derek and gave a nod in greeting. "Did you sleep well?"

Derek nodded, pushing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "I slept fine. I was wondering if I could talk to you now?"

"That's fine." Chris replied before glancing back to the room. "Braeden mentioned that you were a former cop, so you have experience with guns?"

"I can hold my own with one."

"I'll show you the armory then." Chris replied, motioning Derek to come closer. Derek followed as Chris pushed the door open more and walked back inside.

The room was kept well stocked with different types of guns; from pistols to shotguns, to semiautomatic rifles. Needless to say, Derek was impressed with the selection.

"How did you get all these?" He asked, looking over the different racks and cases, tracing his fingers over the clear plexiglass on the pistol case.

"I'm a supplier to the police and military." Derek nodded and let his hand drop to his side.

"Braeden told me who your father is."

"And you're naturally worried that I'm working for him." Chris finished for him.

"It crossed my mind." Derek admitted.

Chris nodded and leaned against the larger case against the wall. "I used to be the head trainer for all of the security in Eichen. That was when they just had a faction of security that they'd use in different companies, before they opened up the hospitals."

"So, why'd you stop?"

"I found out what they were doing. I had a younger brother, he found something out and tried to tell me. I tried to meet with him, but my father already had him admitted and he later had him killed in front of me. So for the past four years, I've been doing what I can to help those that want to take down my father's company."

Derek nodded sympathetically, crossing his arms over his chest before he looked up to him. "I'm assuming that you bring rebels here and train them how to fight."

"That's one thing my part of the group does. We house them, give them medical attention, and make them stronger. We'll do the same with your group, but we'll help you farther."

"You want to join us?"

"I'd like to, as soon as we get a real plan. I already know a few things that will help immensely with your goal." Derek was more than a little interested in whatever information he could give them.

"And what are those few things?" Chris shook his head a little and stood up away from the rack.

"We'll go over those later. For now, I'll show you around and we'll figure out what your group needs."

Derek sighed a little. He really just wanted to get any information as soon as possible, but Chris was right; most of them did need better training when it came to fighting and self-defense. "Fine."

Chris led him out of the infirmary and down the hallway so he could give him a tour of the various rooms. A bedroom acted as a makeshift infirmary with a stock full of supplies. A ballroom at the end of the hallway had even been converted into a training area, complete with targets, attack dummies, and an area for sparring.

A girl with light chestnut brown hair cut short to frame her face was currently practicing against a punching bag, moving fast and hitting with powerful strikes. Derek cringed a little at the reverberating noise of each hit on the punching bag; he didn't envy anyone that went against her in battle.

She turned towards the door when she heard it open and eyed Derek suspiciously momentarily before going back to training. Another girl with deeper brown and wavy hair was on the other side of the room, practicing archery on some of the targets. So far, she had several arrows in bullseyes on the various targets and was still going strong. Derek was already impressed with Chris' group.

"So are these two permanent residents or people you took in that are going to move on?" Derek asked, watching the two of them.

"The one with the bow is my daughter, Allison. She helps in keeping track of the perimeter. As you can see, she excels with archery, but also holds her own in hand to hand. Malia is an escapee that we took in. Her go to choice is hand to hand combat." Chris briefly explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "So you're a definite fighter, I'm also aware that Scott was trained as a guard, but what about the other three?"

"Lydia's our medic. Isaac and Stiles will definitely need some training. Stiles...has a weapon, but I'd prefer if he'd learn from hand to hand or firearm training." Derek figured Stiles would like that immensely as well. That way, he could maintain a sense of normalcy while being able to protect himself.

Chris nodded, a curious look in his eyes at the mention of Stiles' potential weapon but didn't ask further about it. "You're welcome to training in here whenever you want. For the most part, if you find someone in here and want to spar, or get tips, they'll usually help. I think it would work out best if they all learned hand to hand skills, and how to use a firearm."

"That's what I was thinking. Also, thanks, for everything." Derek spoke softly as he watched Malia and Allison. "How many people are in your group currently?"

"Currently there are nine of us at this safe house. Fourteen with your group."

"Alright." Derek replied as he turned to leave the room. "Was there anything else you needed to show me?"

Chris nodded and led the way outside so he could show Derek where each perimeter check point was. He pointed out the cameras hidden all over the outside of the house, and that they were on generators so they would stay on if someone tried to cut the power. At night, four people would stand guard and watch over the fences in different shifts. There were also trip wires in areas around the fences, just to let them know if someone was nearby.

Chris showed Derek around the outside before leading the way back in. "You're probably hungry. Go ahead and help yourself to the food in the kitchen." He piped up, stopping in front of the kitchen doors.

"About that information you had, can you tell me about it?" Derek asked before he could even think about food.

Chris crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "There's an old Eichen archive center. It's a several hour drive from here, but I believe it will be worth it. It'll be full of information, and hopefully be useful to use publicly if you want to bring them down. You might also find out just what exactly their goals are."

Derek took in the information and gave a nod as he began to plan it out mentally. "That will be the place we start out then. I'll come back later to help my group train. I need to check on Stiles first and make sure that he's alright."

"Fair enough. I'll check in with you later and show you more about the archive and where we can find it."

Derek nodded and turned back down the long hallway to get to the stairs. Stiles' door was still closed when he reached it, so Derek knocked on the door with the back of his knuckles. No response. He furrowed his brow and listened for a few more moments in an attempt to hear if he was even in there.

Hearing only silence, Derek creaked open the door and peeked in. Stiles was curled up on his side with the blankets pulled up to his nose. His whiskey colored eyes were open and blank as he stared at Derek in silence.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Derek apologized.

Stiles stared at him quietly for a moment longer before shaking his head and sitting up. "You didn't wake me." He murmured, shrugging his shoulder. The over-sized shirt that Stiles had fallen asleep in hung on one of his shoulders and from here Derek could see a smattering of moles on his pale skin. "I slept off my headache, but I don't feel like getting out of bed."

"Do you need anything?" Derek asked, earning a shake of Stiles' head.

Stiles rubbed his nose with the back of his hand before scratching his fingers through his messy dark hair. "You could stay for a while." He answered before pausing. "If you want."

Derek nodded and sat at the foot of Stiles' bed so he could face him. "Did you have any nightmares?"

Stiles shrugged and leaned back against his headboard. "A few, but I don't really remember what they were about. I just keep thinking about what I did." He mumbled, staring at his hand and balling it into a fist. "It's weird being a genetic freak."

Derek shook his head. "You're not a freak."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "I can move trucks with my mind, I have weird dreams, and I sense things. How am I not a freak?" He asked expectantly as he raised an eyebrow.

Derek scratched at the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulder. "They did horrible things to you, but that doesn't really mean you're a freak. You're unique. You don't want to let them use you and that makes you better than they could ever be."

Stiles looked a little caught off guard before he smiled, lowering his head as his face flushed. "Thanks."

Derek couldn't help from smiling a little as well, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly as he leaned forwards to get a better look at Stiles' face. "You're blushing, aren't you?"

Stiles snorted and shook his head. "No way. I'm just warm."

"If you say so." Derek murmured, cocking his head and tilting Stiles' chin up with his index and middle fingers. Stiles raised his eyebrows as he stared back at him.

"You know, at first glance you look really threatening and kinda dangerous in a very attractive way, but your bunny teeth ruin it." Stiles piped up, wanting to get a little revenge and fluster Derek.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows and leaned back. "My what?"

"Your bunny teeth. They're honestly really cute. Adorable even." Stiles grinned as he leaned forwards, lowering his knees so he could prop his hands on the bed for support.

"I don't have bunny teeth."

"Actually you do. Not sure how you never noticed them, but you do." Stiles snorted a little before laughing when Derek frowned. "It's not that bad. They suit you."

Derek quirked an eyebrow, not sure how to take that. "Thanks?"

"You're so very welcome." Stiles grinned. Derek shook his head, happy at least that Stiles seemed to be in a better mood. He reached out to Stiles and lightly pinched his nose.

"Then your upturned nose suits you too." Derek replied, dropping his hand again so Stiles could pull away.

"My nose is very cute, thank you for noticing. I'm just very cute in general. Frankly, I'm adorable." Stiles huffed, crossing his arms over his chest before flashing Derek a playful expression.

Derek nodded, getting to his feet again. "You are adorable. Attractive even."

Stiles tensed and sputtered a little. "Wait, what?"

Derek shrugged. "Did you want me to deny it?"

"Well, no? I just didn't think you'd agree so easily."

"I've found that it's easier to just go along with what you say." Derek pointed out.

Stiles snorted a little at that. "Careful, Hale. I think you might just be falling for me."

"Right." Derek replied flatly. "So, over the next few days, you're going to start learning how to fight and defend yourself. Maybe we'll even start finding a way to help you learn control over what you can do."

"I'd ask if you'd be the one teaching me, but you're kind of useless right now. No offense, you just can't really fight with your shoulder."

Derek shook his head a little and sighed. "It should be better in a few days. While I'm healing though, some of Chris' people can teach you how to fight hand to hand. Braeden and I will show you how to shoot a gun."

"Fair enough." Stiles replied, crossing his legs and shifting on the bed. "So are you really happy to see her again?"

Derek nodded at that. "I'm glad she's still doing okay. She'll be a really good addition to our team."

"Is coming with us?" Stiles asked, raising his eyebrows.

"She might be. I'm not sure yet. I'll have to ask her."

"So, you want her to come?" Stiles asked, crossing his arms over his chest as his smile faded.

"I think it wouldn't hurt."

Stiles nodded slowly. "Were you two ever a thing?"

Derek shook his head at that. "No."

"Do you want to be?"

"No. Why?" Derek asked, trying to figure out what he was getting at.

Stiles shrugged and got to his feet. "No reason. I'm going to change and head down so I can figure out where to start. I'll see you in a little while?"

Derek nodded and walked towards the door, resting his hand on the doorknob before he turned towards Stiles again. "I'll be in the area if you need me."

"Sounds good." Stiles replied, heading to his bag and rummaging through it for a change of clothes. Derek watched him for a few seconds longer before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

To kill some time, Derek took a short walk around the outside of the house. He figured it would be something quiet and relaxing to do since he hadn't really done all that much walking at the lake house. This time they were safer and better protected. This time they had safety in more numbers.

By the time he went back inside, Stiles was in the training room with that Malia girl. She was currently standing in front of him, showing him some tips for defending himself so they could spar. "Put your arms up a little higher." She stated, showing him how to fix his stance.

"Like this?" Stiles asked as he raised his arms a little higher and balled his hands into fists.

Malia nodded and began to strike at him so he could block the hits and hit back. On the plus side, Stiles was a little better at this than Derek thought he would be. That definitely would make things easier if the whole group was relatively easy to train.

"You can hit harder. Did you never learn how to fight?" Malia asked, frowning deeper as she looked him over.

Stiles shrugged and threw a punch for her to block. "Eichen preferred testing and injections in lieu of hand to hand weaponizing."

Malia nodded and hit back so Stiles could deflect it. "You're at least learning fast." She noted, taking a step back before nodding to the punching bag. "Try that for a while. Then we'll start trying harder hits and keeping your focus."

"Sounds good." Stiles replied, heading to the punching bag as he could start practicing on it while Malia walked out.

Derek watched Stiles for a few minutes before heading over. "You're not bad so far."

Stiles laughed a little at that. "Thanks?"

Derek nodded, watching Stiles follow through with his punches. "I can tell that you have a lot of power in your punches. I think weapon wise, you'd do best with blunt objects." He noted, stepping away from Stiles so he could look around for anything blunt. He soon found something on the weapon rack and walked over before promptly returning with an aluminum baseball bat. "Like this."

Stiles laughed a little and accepted the bat, lightly tapping it against his palm. "I think you just want to see me with a bat." He grinned up at Derek.

"Right." Derek stated with a roll of his eyes. "Just try it on that practice dummy."

"Will do." Stiles chirped, strolling over to the closest one and adjusting how he was standing. He took a few slow practice swings before pulling it back and swinging hard.

_CRACK!_

Derek swallowed hard, staring at where the bat had collided with the dummy's head before looking back to Stiles in awe.

Stiles glanced back to Derek with a surprised grin on his face. "What? Did I do awesome or something?"

"I'm pretty sure those aren't supposed to crack like that." Derek pointed. Stiles glanced back to the dummy and bounced a little on his feet.

"Badass." Stiles grinned, turning to Derek again. "Guess this is my weapon in attacks."

"I'd assume so."

Stiles tapped the bat in his palm again, lightly clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he thought. "What about my other weapon?"

Derek sighed and shook his head. "I don't want to weaponize you, but if you want to, I'll find a way to start helping you practice so we can figure out a way for you to find control."

Stiles nodded and cocked his head, letting the arm holding the bat drop to his side as he looked Derek over with a curious look. "You really care a lot about what happens to me. I still don't get why."

"You have a ton of faith in me, but it's weird that I have faith in you too?"

"Yeah." Stiles replied with a smile as he raised an eyebrow.

Derek rolled his eyes at his response. "You're so difficult."

"I am, but that's why you like me." Stiles snorted and shrugged.

"And I'm assuming you're so attached to me because you like me." Derek dead panned.

"Basically. Thanks for noticing." Stiles winked at him before glancing to the bat. "I should put this back, then I'll take a walk, but I'll check in with you later?"

Derek nodded. "I'm going to check with Braeden and Chris so I can find out what we'll need."

Stiles gave a nod, slinging the bat against his shoulder before heading back towards the rack. "Sounds good. Let me know if you need anything. I can be a source of entertainment at least."

"I don't doubt that." Derek mumbled before turning on his heel and heading back towards the double doors.

 

Derek ended up busying himself with planning their temporary departure from the safe house to gather the information from the Eichen archive and didn't really spend much time out of Chris' office for the remainder of the day. The idea so far was to leave in a week and only take a small group.

So far, Derek knew that Chris was going, along with some of his people. Chris had suggested that some of the right people would be Boyd, the guy from the front gate, his daughter, Allison, and Erica, one of the girls he hadn't had the chance to meet yet. Apparently Boyd was a former security guard at Eichen, and Erica was a nurse. Apparently their story was that Erica failed a routine dream exam and Boyd managed to help her escape before she could be admitted. Boyd had trained directly under Chris and knew him, so he contacted him. Since then, the both of them have been at the safe house helping whenever they could. Sometimes they went on runs and helped escapees.

Derek had considered taking Braeden, but since Chris was going, she'd be better off here. Scott could temporarily cover for Boyd in keeping watch. One person that he knew he couldn't bring along with though, was Stiles. It was nothing against Stiles, he just didn't want to put any unnecessary strain on him just yet.

By the time Derek made it up to his room, the numbers on the clock on his end table illuminated in the darkness until he turned the lights on. _11:30._

Derek sighed and worked his jeans off so he could replace them with soft sweatpants. Afterwards, he flicked the light off and stumbled through the darkness until he could drop facedown onto the soft bed. This was definitely better than the beds that Eichen supplied in the patient rooms.

Derek rolled onto his back and breathed through his nose until the tiredness overcame him and allowed him to sleep.

 

"DEREK!" Derek jolted at the sound of someone screaming his name, exhaling shakily and laying rigid in the darkness. At first he thought it was his dream until the screaming started again. Derek quickly pushed himself off of his bed and nearly lost his footing when he realized who was screaming. Stiles.

Derek quickly bolted out of his room and ran into Stiles' room to see what was wrong. Stiles was on his bed, writhing and screaming at the top of his lungs. Derek reacted fast and quickly moved to try and calm him before noticing the scratches on Stiles' cheek. Realizing he had done it to himself in his sleep, Derek moved behind him and grabbed his arms, pulling Stiles close so he could try and minimize the trashing and damage. Stiles fought and clawed at Derek's arms before gripping his forearm. At first he held it tightly before his grip started to slacken. 

"Hey, hey, I'm here. It's Derek, Stiles." He said softly as Stiles' screams reduced to quiet sobs and whimpers. Stiles went limp against his chest. Derek gently rocked him side to side, trying his best to soothe him.

He glanced up at the group standing outside the door before shaking his head. "It's okay. It's just a night terror." He briefly assured them. 

Once the worried group dissipated, Derek sighed softly and rested his head on Stiles' shoulder. "Your parents tried to help you and get your night terrors taken care of, and Eichen didn't even try to fix them, did they?" He asked quietly, listening for Stiles' breathing to even out again.

"I'm here." He whispered again, keeping his arm around Stiles's chest while the other arm rested across his stomach so he could slowly rub his side.

Derek let out a slow breath as he thought about what Stiles had said earlier, about how Derek cared a lot about him. Derek couldn't fully explain it, but he did feel extremely protective over Stiles. He wanted to do whatever it took to make sure that he was safe.

"I'll always be here, Stiles." He murmured softly before he allowed himself to start falling back asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks again for being so patient with me! I was honestly super nervous about this chapter and hope you all like it!
> 
> And thank you to my dear friend, TheTrickyOwl, for pointing me to this song [ http://youtu.be/wsegL1dgp2o ](here) because it reminded her of this fic. I feel like it really fits and it helps me through writer's block.
> 
> Apologies if I missed anything, I was posting this I was leaving for work.

Some time during the night, Derek had rolled onto his side with Stiles. Despite the changes in their positions, he still kept an arm protectively around Stiles.

 

When he opened his eyes for the first time in the morning, he was looking directly into Stiles'. Derek had to blink a few times to fully wake himself up before raising a hand to rub the back of it against his eyes.

"Morning." Stiles greeted in a soft voice.

"Morning." Derek returned with a sleep roughened voice. A small smile momentarily ghosted across Stiles' features at the sound of it before it faded again.

"Did I sleep walk again?" Derek shook his head before he shifted it a little on the pillow to make himself more comfortable before he briefly explained what had transpired.

"You had a night terror and I tried to help you. I stayed to make sure you'd be okay for the rest of the night." Stiles nodded slowly, biting softly at his lip as he curled more into Derek.

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

Derek nodded and raised a hand to Stiles' face so he could gently brush his thumb over the scratches across Stiles' cheek. "You scratched yourself in your sleep, but I don't think you really did any other damage. Does it hurt?"

Stiles shook his head and lifted his hand to rest on the back of Derek's. "You know, you didn't have to stay all night." He noted, brushing his fingers down Derek's arm before he furrowed his eyebrows and lifted Derek's arm so he could examine it. "I scratched you."

"It's okay. You couldn't help it." Derek didn't really give a damn about the shallow scratches; he was just happy that Stiles was okay.

Stiles nodded slowly and brushed his fingers back up Derek's arm before he threaded his fingers through Derek's. Derek watched the action before noticing the way Stiles swallowed and the cautious look on his face. "Is everything okay?"

Stiles glanced up to Derek's face, searching his eyes for a moment before giving him a small smile. "Right now, I think it is."

"Can you tell me what you're thinking about?"

Stiles hesitated for a moment, but it was mostly to figure out how exactly to word what he wanted to say. "I'm just...I'm really lucky to have you in my life." He soon spoke and furrowed his brow in thought as he gave his hand a soft squeeze. "I can honestly say you're probably the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Derek couldn't stop from feeling saddened at the realization that he was the first person in the last eight years that Stiles had seen genuinely care about him and his well being. That was another reason he felt so protective over him, he just didn't want to let Stiles down. He wanted Stiles to be able to keep hoping good things could happen. The desire to protect Stiles bubbled up in his chest and made him want to comfort him in any way he could. Derek really wanted to keep seeing Stiles smile.

Derek gently pulled his hand out of Stiles' hold and rested it on his cheek again so his thumb could ghost over his bottom lip. Stiles watched him with a curious look in his eyes, but didn't say anything. Derek tracked his thumb's movement momentarily and then glanced up to Stiles' eyes once again. "Close your eyes." He murmured.

Stiles raised his eyebrows quizzically, but seemed to decided against asking and just go along with Derek's command instead. Derek ran his thumb against Stiles's cheek soothingly and leaned forwards to brush their lips together gently.

Stiles tensed a little at the gentle contact before letting out a content sigh through his nose and kissing him back. He slid his arm around Derek's waist, shifting closer to him so he could press back into the kiss. Derek held the kiss for a moment longer and pulled away to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "Are you still tired?"

"Well, if I wasn't wide awake before, I definitely am now." Stiles snorted before grinning and tucking his head under Derek's chin. "I'm guessing that wasn't another platonic kiss."

Derek pondered it for a moment and exhaled slowly through his nose. "No. It wasn't." It could explain one reason for why he was so protective of Stiles. It was strange. 

"Ah." Stiles murmured and quieted again as he tried to think of what to say. "Are you sure about this though?" He asked, tracing his finger up and down Derek's side.

"Only if you're sure about it. I'm not going to do anything that you don't want. If you tell me to stop, I'll stop."

"I don't want you to stop." Stiles murmured without hesitation.

Derek nodded and rubbed his back for a little longer before sitting upright. "I'll be heading to an Eichen archive, I'm guessing in the next few days. I want you to stay here where it's safe."

Stiles shrugged with a frown on his face. "Let me guess, you're worried it could be too much for me. I can handle it."

Derek sighed and shook his head. "It's not about that. I don't want to walk you into an Eichen building when we don't know what to expect there. If something goes wrong, I don't want them to get their hands on you again."

"I want to find out what they did to me." Stiles replied in a soft voice, sitting and crossing his arms over his chest. "It's safe to say I deserve to know."

"If we find anything, we're bringing it back. It's just a lot safer for you if you're here."

Stiles rolled his eyes and looked over to Derek, biting at his lip as he mulled it over. "I'm going next time."

Derek sighed and shook his head. "If you're ready next time, I'll take you."

Stiles raised his eyebrows challengingly. "Define your standards of 'ready.'"

"Ready is you being trained with a gun and being able to defend yourself."

"Fine. I'm not useless or someone that needs to be rescued all the time."

"Didn't say you were." Derek pointed out with a sigh.

"If I wasn't, you'd be taking me with you." Stiles shot back before he sighed and scratched at his head. "I get it though. I'm more useful here, I guess I can get better so I can start going on runs with you. Sorry, I'm just frustrated."

Derek slid his arm around Stiles' shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to his temple. "I'll start training you when I get back, alright?"

Stiles nodded and gazed up into Derek's eyes as he lifted a hand to brush his fingers against his jaw. "You're coming back, right?"

Derek furrowed his eyebrows and stared at Stiles in disbelief. Where did that come from? "Why wouldn't I come back?"

Stiles shrugged his shoulders. "Last time someone said they'd come back for me, they didn't." He commented, moving to lay back on the bed and stretch his legs out as he draped his arm across his face to hide his eyes.

Derek sighed softly and gnawed at his lip as he got to his feet. He leaned over Stiles and pressed a kiss to his forehead in an attempt to cheer him up before standing upright once again. "I'll come back to you." He promised before leaving the room so he could meet with Chris.

Chris was in his office this time with maps and blueprints spread across his desk as he sipped at a mug full of steaming coffee. "Good morning." He piped up without looking up from the desk as Derek entered the room. "I heard Stiles was having problems last night."

Derek gave a slow nod. "He had a night terror. He's fine now. I wanted to talk to you about the plans for the archive again, so we can get ready."

Chris nodded and motioned to the desk. "That's what I'm thinking about right now. I got some of the blueprints for the floor levels and I'm mapping out where our best shots at gaining information is. I've been to the archive several years ago, and I don't think we'll really have anything to worry about. They stopped using it in 2017 and have kept it fenced off. I got a look at the surveillance and they don't have any security on the outside. I still think we'll be fine taking a small group."

Derek nodded as he listened. "Do you have any suggestions on who you want to bring?"

"I think the best candidates would be Boyd and Erica. Scott can cover for Boyd's rotation on watch while we're gone, and Lydia is your medical expert, so we have that covered too for Erica being gone. With a combination of their skills, and us, I think we have a really good chance of getting in and out of there without a problem. And if we do run into anything, I think we'd be able to get through it quickly."

"Fair enough." Derek replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared down at the blueprints on the table. "When do you want to leave?"

Chris moved his arm holding his mug to look at the watch on his wrist. "It's still pretty early, I'm thinking if we get ready now and leave within the hour, we should get to the area tonight. That would give us a chance to do our own surveillance outside the building and then go in the morning."

"Alright. I'll go tell my group the plan and then start packing. I'll meet you back here?" Chris gave a nod.

"That would be perfect."

Derek nodded in approval and left the room to go to his temporary bedroom first. He packed two days of clothes into a backpack and left a lot of space for weapons or anything he would find at the archive. After dressing, he slung the bag over his shoulder and searched the upstairs of the large house to check to see if anyone in his group was awake. For the most part, everyone was sleeping other than Stiles and Lydia.

Afterwards, he went back to Stiles' bedroom and found him still laying on the bed, but this time he was halfway under the covers and on his stomach. Stiles looked over at the sound of footsteps and gave a small wave before furrowing his eyebrows. "What's up?" He asked, motioning to the backpack and how Derek was already dressed to go.

"I'm going to be leaving with Chris soon. Scott and everyone will still be here if you need anything. If everything goes well, we'll be coming back tomorrow night. So at most, I think we'd only be gone for three days."

Stiles nodded, sitting up and sling his legs off the bed so he could stand. "I guess all I can say is to be careful and not do anything stupid. Being reckless is my job." Stiles joked with a wink, but in his eyes he still looked conflicted.

 

Derek rolled his eyes at the comment. "Right, because being reckless sounds like a good way to spend the mission."

 

"Now you're thinking the Stiles way. Being reckless can be fun, but yeah. I'd much rather you come back in one piece." The humor from Stiles' voice faded as he allowed himself to look worried. "Please."

 

Derek nodded and stepped closer to Stiles, cupping his face in his hands and pressing their lips together. He felt Stiles relax under his hold and pulled away to look in his eyes. "I promise I'm coming back. And in one piece. Are you going to be okay?"

 

Stiles nodded and bumped their foreheads together softly. "I'll try my best. I'll probably just pace around if I can't find something to do while you're gone. I'm a natural born worrier." Derek shook his head and gave him one more kiss before taking a step back.

 

"I'll be back soon." He promised him before leaving the room. Derek's final stop was the armory so he could pack a few pistols and clips of ammo into his backpack. Once he was sure he had enough, he left for the office and met with the rest of the team.

 

The small group made it to the archive in the evening, just as the sun had set. The building was made much like a usual corporate industrial building, and was completely fenced off with padlocked gates. The shadowy darkness from the faint glow of the street lights in front of it made the building look almost ominous.

 

The building across from it was abandoned, which was where Chris had them set up their surveillance. On the fourth floor, Erica and Boyd set up stationary cameras to keep track of the building while Derek and Chris circled the fence to check for any signs of activity. After finding none, they met the other two back in front to come up with a plan of action.

 

"Do you want to do this now?" Erica asked, looking between the men before she looked to the building again. "We have our bolt cutters on us right now."

 

Chris weighed the idea in his mind before looking to Derek. "What do you think?"

 

"We're all alert right now, and I feel like the sooner we get in, the sooner we get what we need and get out."

 

"Alright, we'll move forwards then. Erica, I'm guessing that you want to open the gates." Erica flashed Chris a grin and nodded before she unlocked her duffle bag to get them out. She bounded over to gate and got the bolt cutters in place before breaking the padlock holding the chains together. She swiftly pulled the broken lock off before removing the chains and pushing the gate open. "Tah-dah." She announced proudly before motioning the way in. "Gentlemen, after you."

 

Derek couldn't help but smile at her actions. During the long car ride, he did find that he liked Erica and Boyd. Erica had even told him their story about how they ended up at Chris' place. Erica had been a nurse at the location upstate, and Boyd had been a security guard. After witnessing some of the killings on some of the patients, they were planning to quit. Unfortunately, the routine testing on the staff came up before they could and Erica didn't pass her test. Before they could submit her, Boyd helped her escape, along with Malia, a boy named Jackson, and another girl named Kira. Jackson had a contact that got them in touch with Chris, and they've been with him ever since.

 

The men followed Erica into the building, getting their weapons out and ready just in case there were any surprises for them inside. Once they got past the multiple locks on the front door and inside, Chris took the lead down one of the long hallways. As they walked, Derek noticed a map on the wall and shined his flashlight on it to get a read what it said. "Archive library." He soon spoke up, tapping the room on the map before running his finger down to map it out from where they currently stood.

 

"This way, and a right. Then it's at the end of the hall." Derek took the lead and found himself walking faster down the hallway. This was it. Maybe they were finally going to get some answers to the questions they all probably had.

 

Derek pushed through the doors and took a long look around the room. The room was set up with large bookshelves filled with various binders, file cabinets, and a large TV in the center.

Half of the group moved through the shelves, searching through the binders for anything useful to take with them while Derek walked with Chris up to the computer hooked up to the screen and looked around for anything they could use.

"Are you finding anything useful?" Boyd asked Erica, looking through one of the shelves binder by binder.

"Not sure. In this one, there are notes of creating an emotional bond, but I don't think that really has anything to do with what we're looking for." She replied.

Derek noticed a binder laying on its side and picked it up before he began to flip through it. The first pages were filled with patient files with pictures of children. Many of the names and pictures were crossed out with red marker, or some pictures were missing all together. Derek flipped through them, reading some of the notes. Most of the children were there for night terrors.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows and began flipping through the binder, trying to ignore just how many of them were stamped red with a large 'deceased' across the bottom of the page. He finally stopped on a page and saw a photograph of a younger Stiles staring back at him.

Derek sighed through his nose and skimmed over some of the the information on the file.

_Wieńcyzsław 'Stiles' Stilinski, born April 8th. Age: 11  
Patient ID: 000-192_

_Patient was admitted to studies, May 13th, 2014. Patient permanently admitted June 8th._

_Shows very promising results to tests, will be moved on to the next level._

_More details are kept in Patient's file._

Derek sighed and flipped through the rest of the binder until he found a flash drive at the end of the folder.

"Chris." He replied, picking it out of the book and holding it out to him. Chris nodded and took it as Derek turned to the others.

"See if one of you can find this patient file. It should be either labeled W. Stilinski or 000-192." The others nodded and started looking for anything with either of those labels.

Chris put the drive in the computer's port before scanning a card to get it working. The screen lit up instantly and videos began to play right away.

_The first was of a bunch of children, all dressed in white scrubs, sitting in a circle around a room filled with medical items and doctors filling syringes. In the middle of the circle, Gerard stood, looking to each child before he spoke, "All of you are here for a very special reason. You all suffer from extreme night terrors and we're here to help see if there's any way that we can get rid of them for you all. I know you are all probably missing your families, but this is only temporary, I assure you." After he finished explaining, the doctors finished preparing the shots and walked over to the children so they could inject them._

_One of the kids looked back to the doctors before looking to Gerard. "Why do we need shots?" He asked._

_"They're filled with medicine that will allow us to start helping you." Gerard replied._

_"What if I don't like needles?" The kid asked, crossing his arms over his chest._

_"If we do it right, it won't hurt. You'll be alright, Wieńcyzsław." Derek's eyes widened a little at that._

_"Only my mom calls me that." Stiles huffed, frowning as one of the doctors raised his arm so he could get injected._

_"Of course, I apologize. See, that wasn't so bad, was it, Stiles?"_

_Stiles just rubbed his arm and frowned to himself. After each shot was administered, Gerard and the doctors escorted the children away so they could go play._

_The video cut out at that and another one started right afterwards. This time, only a few children were in the injection room._

Chris watched the doctors on screen and he furrowed his eyebrows as he pointed out a young man with sandy brown hair. "That man there, he was my brother, Cain."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows and glanced over to Chris before looking back at the man. "He was one of the doctors?"

Chris nodded. "He wasn't like my father though."

Derek pursed his lips and watched as the doctor examined Stiles and made sure he was still healthy.

_"I want to go home." Stiles spoke up, glancing up to him._

_Cain nodded and looked to Stiles sympathetically. "I know. I want to get you home too. Gerard said if these tests go well, you'll be home before you know it. You've been doing really well so far."_

_Stiles gave a slow nod and sighed before holding his arm up so he could get another injection. "Is that where the other kids have gone?"_

_Cain nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah, Gerard has been releasing some of them. Apparently they've been doing really well on the medicine."_

_Stiles glanced up towards the camera in the corner of the room before nodding. "Maybe I'll go home soon too."_

_"I know you will." Cain smiled at him._

_The video cut again, leading to a recording of Gerard at his desk. "This recording was recorded on July 20th, 2016. Testing has yielded both fantastic results and dead ends. We are still running several groups in different locations of course, with the main focus on the Beacon Hills location. Out of the thirty original children, currently fifteen are left. Five of the ones left are what we're calling Feral mode. That has lead to another project of its own, and we're going to try and see if there is any way we can control them again. If we can, it'll prove very useful and we'll move onto another phase. Perhaps we can eventually weaponize it. As for the remaining clear ten subjects, three of them have taken a higher priority. Patients 000-146, 000-163, and 000-192 are the ones we'll be keeping a closer watch of." Gerard replied before typing on his keyboard and a photograph of Stiles came onto the screen._

_"Out of those three, the highest priority goes to 000-192, the boy that goes by the nickname of Stiles. He's had great responses to the dosages and we're going to further his tests and see how well he does with them. We're currently trying out different forms of testing on the remaining children, to see how it affects them and how much they can handle. I'll submit various updates on the subjects and will be expecting the same for the other groups." He finished before ending the video._

Derek sighed softly and picked up the folder again to search through it to check if there was any other information in there, or anything that could connect it to other files. Chris, on the other hand, busied himself in typing away at the keyboard in search of the employee records.

The next few minutes were nearly silent aside from the clicks of the keys, the shuffling of the files and folders, and the occasional soft murmurs from the rest of the group.

"I found my brother's folder." Chris announced, pressing a final key to access the folder and bring it up on the screen. The folder was filed with dated patient interviews, as well as doctor logs from Chris' brother.

Derek skimmed over the labels of each interview and logs, noting several were with '000-192', going all the way to one tilted 'Final log'. "We can download all of the patient interviews and logs onto one of our flash drives to go over later, but I think we should at least check out some of his later logs. I think it could give us some insight to what they were researching and what led up to his death, but it's your decision if we watch any of them now."

Chris internally debated momentarily before clicking one of the final logs.

_The video started to Chris' brother recording at his desk, looking at the camera before glancing down at some papers on his desk. "Today, June 15th, 2016, I have a few updates. A few of the remaining patients are displaying small symptoms such as small rashes and low fevers, all around 100.6 Fahrenheit, I'm assuming it from the new injection we've given them. Stiles, 000-192, has a fever of 103.7, so Gerard has put him in quarantine to avoid anything else making him any sicker. We're going to see if the rashes and fevers fade and the effect they have on the patients before we test it further. Finally, this week, three patients were dismissed and sent home by Gerard. I feel like we're getting closer to finishing what we started. That's all for now."_

_The following video, the Final Log, was time stamped a few months later, and this time it was coming from a handheld camera. The angle soon changed and Chris' brother came on screen as he rapidly typed at his computer. He soon turned towards the camera and cleared his throat; Derek noticed he looked terrified. "This is Cain Argent, I'm a doctor here at the Eichen studies facility located near Beacon Hills. Two years ago, we started to study night terrors and try to put an end to them. At least, that's what we were supposed to be doing...That's what I thought we were doing. Over the past few months, I've noticed more and more that the testing has been getting harder on the children, and I couldn't gain access to figure out what kind of testing they were doing." He started before sighing and rubbing his face._

_"Gerard's told me since the beginning that we've been letting some of the children go at different points, and I just discovered the injections have been killing many of the children in all of the groups since the beginning and some of the ones that it didn't kill..." Cain shook his head and swallowed hard. "Right now, there are only a few kids left here. Patients 000-146 and 000-163 have been transferred to different locations, and right now I can't do anything about getting them out. Gerard's main focus here has been on Stiles. Yesterday, I tried to check on him but Gerard had him in complete isolation again. He does this thing where he tests how isolation affects the night terrors and will leave one of the kids in a bare room for days at a time, sometimes even over a week. The only social interaction they get is when a slit on the door opens to give them food and a change of clothes. We keep this attachment on the side of their heads so we can monitor their dreams. If they try to remove it, it shocks them."_

_Cain drummed his fingers on the table nervously as he spoke before glancing up. "I'm going to try to get him out before they end up killing him too. I don't know if this will even make it out, but I can't let him keep doing this. I'm meeting with someone I trust tomorrow and I'm telling him everything. If I can't, I'll at least get this video out. I've stolen a key card with higher security clearance, so I'm going to take the chance to get in and out now."_

_Cain lifted the camera in shaky hands and kept it lowered as he went out the door and down the hall. After scanning the card and opening the restricted wing, he tilted the camera up so it could capture the long white hall. He started down it, trying to keep his hand from shaking the camera too hard. "There's something I've heard Gerard mention about 'Feral ones'. I've heard that a few more kids might be down this hall, so I might be able to see them too." He murmured, turning the corner and lifting the camera as he walked past some windows to some of the empty rooms. Cain soon stopped walking and turned to one. "One moment, I think that might be Lindsay and Anna. The twins that Gerard said were transferred to another group closer to their home." Cain knocked gently at the window before quickly cursing. The girls turned quickly and ran right at the window, slamming into the plexiglass and growling before they started banging their fists hard against it. Their fingers were bloody from their broken nails yet they didn't seem to process the injuries. They were like rabid animals._

_Cain quickly stepped away from the window and rushed down the hall, whispering 'Oh god' over and over. "What have we done?" He asked softly, finally stopping in front of a door with several electronic locking mechanisms. "Why would they add more locks?" He asked himself, scanning his card and waiting for the door to unlock._

_Once it did, he stepped inside and Stiles came on screen, sitting on a bed in the corner and staring at the wall with a blank look on his face. Cain set the camera on the table and rushed over to Stiles to try and get his attention._

_"Hey, Stiles, come on, I'm going to get you out of here." He said quickly, placing his hands on his shoulders._

_Stiles didn't seem to really respond to his words and didn't budge. Cain cursed under his breath and placed his hands on his face. "Stiles." He spoke up a little louder._

_Stiles slowly raised his hands as if to take Cain's wrists, but stopped them halfway and instead pushing forwards. Cain suddenly slid several feet away from Stiles and let out a sound in shock. "Oh my god, what have they done to you?" He asked before quickly stepping closer and snapping his fingers._

_Stiles jerked a little and blinked before cocking his head. "Cain? Where am I?...I feel so tired."_

_"Gerard put you in isolation again, come on, I'm going to take you somewhere safe. I'm not letting them experiment on you."_

_The fourteen year old Stiles nodded and carefully got to his feet, struggling a little at first before he followed Cain out of the room as Cain grabbed the camera and held it upwards. "They really drugged me."_

_"I know, and I'm going to help you through this. First we have to turn the device off." Stiles bit his lip as he turned to face it towards Cain._

_The device looked much like larger part of a Cochlear implant, without the implant inside of the ear. It instead worked with a monitor on Stiles' chest to track his heart rate. Cain cautiously took the implant against Stiles' head and glanced to his face. "Take a deep breath, count to three, and let out out." Stiles nodded and did as he was told. On three, Cain twisted the brain monitor and pulled the chip out as Stiles let out a yelp._

_"We have to hurry now, they're going to be looking for us now that it's off." Cain spoke quickly before a siren started to go off._

_Stiles nodded and rubbed the side of his head before they took off down the hallway. The two of them almost made it out before the guards zoned it on them. When the camera suddenly clattered to the floor and slid away, facing the two of them and the guards, Derek knew then they had no way out. Stiles tried to fight but yelled out as he was slammed and pinned to the ground by two guards. Despite the disadvantage, he still tried to struggle and fight, but he looked too exhausted to push himself into using the telekinesis he had absolutely no control of._

_"I never thought you'd turn away and try to betray us, Cain." Gerard soon spoke up from off screen._

_"This isn't right and you know it isn't! You're going way too far!" Cain snapped at him, struggling in the hold the guards had on him._

_Gerard laughed mirthlessly at his words. "We're getting closer, and I'm not going to let you take our valuable subject."_

_Cain's eyes widened in shock and looked down to Stiles, letting out a shaky breath. "What have you be doing to him?"_

_"That's not for you to know now. It pains me to say it, Cain, but you've just become expendable, and I can't have someone like you on my doctor's staff anymore." Gerard replied remorsefully. The sound of his voice sickened Derek._

_"This isn't right! You're murdering and torturing children! This isn't worth it!"_

_Gerard soon stepped in to the camera's view and walked over to Stiles before smiling down at him. Derek noticed something in his right hand when he turned more and felt his stomach churn. That was a fucking hammer._

_"You know, Stiles, I'll always admire your spirit, but you know what they say...You can't truly tame a bird without clipping its wings."_ Derek's eyes widened in horror when he recognized the words and quickly looked away from the camera.

His thoughts turned out to be correct, no matter how much he prayed he was wrong, when Stiles suddenly screamed and the video ended.

Derek kept his arms crossed tight over his chest in an failed attempt to hide how visibly he was shaking with rage. Every single fibre of his being wanted to go back to Gerard and mercilessly tear him apart.

 _"The date is January 30th, 2017."_ Derek tensed at the sound of Gerard's voice and glanced back towards the screen as he tried to calm himself down. _"I'm currently satisfied with our results on Patient 000-192, but unfortunately, his sanity is on the brink of collapse. If we lose him, we lose everything we've worked for. Even though my own son betrayed our project and tried to take this very patient away, I have to say, he was someone that kept Stiles grounded and was something for him to hold on to. But we're going to try a new experiment, in an attempt to make sure that Stiles doesn't irreparably break down. For now, we currently have Stiles sedated with an objective in mind and we've enhanced and expanded his intuition so we're hoping we'll find a subject for our experiment."_

_The video cut to an examination room of some sort with Stiles in the center, laid out on a table. Derek couldn't stop from cringing at the sight of him. Stiles has several wires hooked into the side of his head and an IV in his forearm. His wrists were shackled to the table to keep him from moving too far, but there was a problem; he wasn't moving. The steady, rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor showed that he was most likely sleeping._

_Gerard did mention that he was currently sedated. The steadiness kept up for a few more moments before his heart rate and brain activity started to spike. At first it was only a few high spikes but the machine quickly started to beep loudly as Stiles started to violently seize._

_Doctors quickly rushed in, Gerard included, to help get him on his side and help him through the seizure. Blood trickled down Stiles' nose in a messy pattern from his movements while his eyes rolled back. Stiles suddenly stopped when the doctors reached his side before he rocketed up as much as he could, screaming._

_"It's Derek! He's Derek Hale!"_

Derek felt his blood run cold as his mind screeched to a grinding halt. What? How could...How could Stiles know his name? Stiles was only fourteen in the video. Gerard said it himself, this video was filmed in early 2017.

Gerard carefully unlocked Stiles' wrists once he stopped screaming, letting him rock back and forth. Stiles softly chanted Derek's name over and over, twitching and closing his eyes in exhaustion.

"You want Derek?" Gerard asked, trying to look at his face so he could clean up his bloody nose.

"Derek." Stiles replied, tilting his head back. "Hale...Don't let her kill him."

"We'll find Derek for you, don't worry." Gerard assured him, wiping at his face with a cloth. Stiles flinched at the contact but didn't pull away, mouthing silently to himself.

When the doctors dispersed, only one was left in the room with Gerard. "You know what to do right?" Gerard asked, glancing over to the woman. Derek couldn't see her fully yet since she only stood with her back to the camera. The woman nodded and turned on her heel to leave the room and showed her face for the first time.

"Kate?" Derek asked in a shaky voice, struggling to process everything. What the fuck was going on? That was Kate...His Kate. The Kate he had woken up next to for two years. Was Derek just a pawn in a game? Why did Stiles scream for him? How could Stiles have known his... "Erica." Derek quickly turned to face her and stormed over to where she stood. "You said one of the folders had stuff about creating an emotional bond. Where is it?" He questioned.

Erica jumped at the harshness in his voice and tore her eyes away from the screen. "It's...It's over here." She whispered, opening her bag and looking through the folders before she held the correct one to Derek.

Derek quickly yanked it out of her hand and wildly flipped through the folder in his desperation for answers. A lot of it wasn't exactly clear, most of it was notes that he couldn't fully understand or pages were missing. His eyes finally fell on a chunk of one of the notes.

 _'An incision is made behind the ear to allow easier increasings of dopamine and an increase of the protecting feeling, while subject is tranced and focused on the target, until the subject positively associates those feelings towards the target on their own. Subject won't remember the tests and will expand emotions towards the target on their own.'_ Underneath was a diagram of where the incision would go to release the hormones.

Derek reached up behind his left ear and brushed his fingers across the back of his head. Nothing there...Wait. He felt the traces of a scar and dropped his hand back down to his side. All this time, he was just an experiment.

His entire relationship with Kate was fake. His admission to the Eichen was completely planned from the start. He...He kissed Stiles. He wanted Stiles and wanted to do whatever it took to protect him....but was any of it real?

"Derek?" Chris' voice snapped Derek out of his thoughts.

Derek swallowed slowly, staring at the page until he let the drop to the floor.

It was all fake. When Derek started to feel dizzy, he rested his hands on the shelf in attempt to steady himself. He thought of Stiles and just how much faith he had in Derek. It made sense now; they were forced to care about each other. 

Derek quickly dragged his hand across the shelf in a fit of rage and sent the folders flying off the shelf. He couldn't stop from slamming his fist against the bare shelf until the metal dented before he forced himself to storm towards the entrance to the room. He stopped at the doors and grit his teeth together.

"Take what we need so we can leave." He ordered before walking hard back down the hall.

Derek made it to the end of the hallway and turned to corner before he let his anger take over again. He began slamming his fist into the wall, resting his forehead against it as he kept his eyes squeezed shut. With every hit, he thought about the normal life that was taken from him and this hell that he was thrown into for some unknown god damned reason.

Derek didn't stop hitting the wall until his knuckles were shredded and bloodied. He turned his back to the wall and leaned back hard against it so he could slide down it and get off his feet. Derek visored his face with his good hand and tried to stop his shaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I forgot to add the pronounciation for Stiles' name! It's pronounced Veen-Cheh-swah-v! I know in canon it starts with an M, but I feel in love with this possible name during 3B and I use it in all role plays and fics, and will until it comes out in canon!


	12. Chapter 12

Derek hardly noticed the time pass on the way back to the safe house; he was too trapped in his own thoughts to really care or focus on it. He had refused to go back into the archive room until the others were about ready to leave. Erica assured him that they had grabbed everything useful that they could, but right now, he didn't give a shit.

Other than the rage-fueled fire in his belly that he was keeping at bay, he felt completely numb.

The entire drive back allowed Derek to be left alone with his thoughts and he was thankful that none of the others tried to force him to interact. They simply gave him as much space as they could, but Derek figured they were probably just worried he'd snap again. He couldn't blame them for that. He felt volatile and like he was just a few loose strings from falling apart.

He couldn't stop thinking about everything he had witnessed on the screen. Did Stiles know Kate or was she just there that one time? Of all of the things for Stiles to scream, why was it Derek's name? How much did Stiles really know? Did Eichen really repress it all? How much was Stiles hiding from him?

Derek tried to push some of the thoughts away, but that only seemed to make them worse. He didn't know what to believe anymore and all of it just seemed to piss him off.

As they pulled up to the iron gates of the safe house, Derek glanced towards the car's clock. It was only minutes to noon, so just about everyone in the house was probably awake right now. He just needed to get inside quickly so he could lock himself in his room until he was able to handle being around people.

Scott opened the gates for them, allowing them to venture up the long driveway until Chris finally parked the car outside the garage. Derek was out of the car before it even completely slowed to a stop, shoving his hands back in his pockets as he ignored the others coming out of the house. He still felt like his mind was trapped in a fog.

"Hey, Derek! How did it go? Did you find anything?" Derek went rigid at the sound of Stiles' voice and stopped walking. Stiles stopped in front of Derek and bounced a little on the balls of his feet before his smile faded and was replaced with a worried look. "Is everything okay?"

Stiles made the mistake of reaching out to Derek for a comforting embrace and before he realized what he was doing, Derek shoved him away.

"Derek?" Stiles whispered, visibly upset from Derek's harsh reaction.

Derek briefly snapped out of his fog and exhaled sharply through his nose as he tried to think of what he should say. "I'm sorry, it's just not a good time." He mumbled and stepped around Stiles to get inside.

Stiles didn't try to follow him and Derek couldn't even bring himself to feel relieved. He just still felt so empty and he didn't even know if he could trust Stiles.

The door to Derek's bedroom shut with a soft click of the lock once he was inside. He closed his eyes, putting his head in his hands and leaning back against the wood of the door. What was he supposed to do?

 

Derek stayed in his room for the remainder of the afternoon and only left when he finally started to get hungry.

As he passed the training room on his way to the kitchen, he noticed the doors were shut and...vibrating? Curiosity got the better of him and he pushed the doors open, only to have his ears assaulted by loud, hard music.

Derek cringed at the volume, rubbing the side of his head before staring at the center of the room. A long balance beam had been set up in the center of the room with Stiles and Malia currently standing on top of it. The two of them were in the process of sparring, but Stiles' moves were a little slow and hesitant.

Malia quickly took an opening and kicked him right in the side of his ribs. The force knocked Stiles right off balance and sent him tumbling down to the mats below. 

 

Malia sighed and rolled her eyes, lifting a remote and pausing the music. "What did you do wrong?"

Stiles groaned from the floor, pushing himself up and rubbing his side. "I hesitated."

"You hesitated." Malia reiterated as she crossed her arms over her chest and scowling. "A real opponent isn't going to take it easy on you just because you're inexperienced. You need to fight me like you're actually in battle. That's why we're doing this with loud, obnoxious music. You have to focus on what's in front of you and block out any distractions." She explained. "You think way too much and it's slowing you down."

Stiles huffed out a breath and got back upright. He placed his hands on the beam to prepare pushing himself up when he noticed Derek. His eyes widened in surprise at first, but his expression quickly turned to one of annoyance and determination. He pulled himself up on to the bar and faced Malia again. "I'm ready." He piped up and lifted his hands into a defense position.

Malia nodded and started the music up again before she lunged at him. Stiles took a step back and deflected her punch, sending another back to her. This time his moves were more focused and he was much more sure of himself.

The two of them landed several blows on each other before Malia tried kicking him in the ribs again. Stiles caught her leg this time and let go when she threw a punch. Malia nodded in approval and continued trying different movements to gauge his reactions and reflexes. He kept on the offense for once and kept working at pushing her back. Once he got her on the edge, he kicked at her to knock her off. She managed to get a hold of him before she fell and pulled him with, flipping him onto his back and pinning his chest with her knee.

As the song finished and quieted, only the sounds of their heavy breathing could be heard.

"What did I do wrong?" Stiles soon spoke up to fill the silence.

Malia shook her head and got to her feet. She then offered her hand out to him. "Absolutely nothing."

Stiles grinned and accepted her hand so he could get up easier. Despite the  
conflicting emotions, Derek was still glad to see that he was improving immensely. He couldn’t help the little pang of jealousy over the fact that Stiles was bonding so well with Malia though.

Derek frowned to himself and shook his head before turning away. "Hey!" He was stopped by Malia's voice and looked over his shoulder at her.

"You should be a dick to him more often, it helps him fight better!" She called to him.

Derek returned her scowl right away as Stiles groaned and put his head in his hands. "Malia, no."

Malia just raised her hand to Stiles to quiet him so she could continue. "No, he shoved you. Aren't you supposed to be his boyfriend or something?"

"We're not anything." Derek snapped back at her without thinking and instantly regretted it at the look on Stiles' face; He looked devastated. 

 

"Stiles..." Derek started, wanting to apologize and take that back right away but Stiles ignored him. He instead kept his gaze low as he stormed towards Derek and pushed past him so he could exit the room. Derek watched him go before he felt Malia's glare focused on him. He sighed through his nose and scowled back at her.

"I honestly don't give a damn what happened to you while you guys were gone, but if you don't talk to him and make things right, you're going to be dealing with me." Malia promised before turning her back to him so she could take her anger out on a punching bag.

Derek rolled his eyes at her words and decided to take his leave to see if he could find where Stiles had gone.

He found Stiles sitting on a swing in the backyard, staring at his feet as he slowly pushed himself back and forth. Derek took slow and cautious steps towards him until he could take a seat on the swing beside him.

Stiles didn't look up at him but his eyebrows pinched together as his frown deepened. They sat together in silence as Derek tried to think of what he could say to start making things right between them.

"You're an asshole." Stiles spoke up to break the silence.

Derek nodded and sighed through his nose. "I know."

"So, what is it then? You don't like me anymore? Is that why you're being like this?"

"The problem is the fact that I do like you." Stiles stopped swinging and looked over to Derek, a medley of hurt and confusion on his face. He looked like he wanted to say something but chose not to, in case Derek elaborated on what he meant. "There were videos at the archive, we brought a lot of them back here. A lot of the ones we brought are about you."

"So, whatever you saw them do to me made you decide to be a complete and total asshole to me?" Stiles asked with a humorless laugh. "Really means a lot."

Derek sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He deserved this.

"Do you remember any of the experiments they did on you, when you were fourteen?"

Stiles pursed his lips together and stared at his feet. "I don't remember most of it."

"They did horrible things to you." Derek started. "I only saw glimpses of it, but I'm sure there's more that they did. And...There was something they would do to you. They had you tied to a table and put wires in your head."

"Why are you telling me this? I don't want to remember it for a reason."

"The point I’m trying to make is...Gerard said he was expanding your intuition in order to find something to help your mind from collapsing. You were almost at your breaking point. I don't know what they were putting in you, but you started having a seizure. And then you started screaming...You started screamed my name."

Stiles tightened his grip on the chains of the swing and looked up at Derek. He stared at him with a blank expression before finally nodding and closing his eyes. "And there's no way I could have known your name. So you're freaked out."

"That's not the only reason. After everyone left, Gerard started talking to this woman about starting a search for me. That woman, she’s Kate. My fiancé. The whole relationship was a lie that they had set up so she could put me in the asylum to be with you. I think they forced us to care about each other and that's what makes me so protective over you."

Stiles slowed his kicking and tilted his head against one of the chains of the swing. "Do you blame me?"

Derek shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known."

Stiles finally looked at Derek with a lost expression on his face. In his nerves, he gnawed at the skin of his bottom lip and shook his head. "I don't want you to start hating me, but I don't know what you want me to say to make you feel better. I had nothing to do with any of those things and I really don't want to lose you because of them. You're the one good thing I have."

Derek sighed and got to his feet before he stood in front of Stiles. He needed to know one thing before he could go any further. He placed his hands on either side of Stiles' head, rubbing his thumbs behind his ears to feel for the scar. It honestly killed him that Stiles wouldn't look him in the eyes; he just couldn't bring himself to.

When his searching came back with nothing, Derek lowered his hands and furrowed his eyebrows. "You don't have the scar."

"So what does that mean?"

Derek shrugged and took a step back. "I don't know. Maybe they didn't put you through their bonding experiment."

"But you're still going to avoid me, I'm assuming." Stiles piped up with a raise of his eyebrow.

Derek exhaled through his nose and carded his fingers through his dark hair as he tried to think about what he wanted and what he should do. There were too many conflicting thoughts in his racing through his mind.

"We should spar." Stiles spoke after a few moments of silence between them. "All out though, like I do with Malia sometimes. If we're really bonded, and you're supposed to be a glorified baby sitter, you won't be able to hurt me. Maybe it'll also get your anger out and you'll be more pleasant to be around again."

Derek pursed his lips together but gave him a nod in response. Maybe it would help things. It could at least ease some of the tension he wedged between them.

Stiles wordlessly stood from the swing and led the way back to the training room. He stopped once he reached the edge of the mats and carefully toed his shoes off. Derek did the same and pushed them aside with the side of his foot so they wouldn't be in the way.

They stood at opposite sides on the mats and Derek waited for Stiles to get into his stance before he started. He threw a few light punches at Stiles' arms for him to deflect and block, just to ease some of the uneasiness of of Stiles' face and to warm them both up.

As they continued, the hits started to get more intense and Derek could say that he was impressed by Stiles' improvement. He allowed himself to ease more into the sparring and felt more comfortable using harder attacks on him. Derek dodged one of Stiles' attacks and threw a punch back at him, knocking Stiles hard in the side of the face. He didn’t even have the chance to ask if he was okay when Stiles quickly threw two punches, hitting Derek in the arm to knock it away so he could hit him in the face and finish it off with a roundhouse kick to Derek's ribs.

Derek grunted and staggered back, rubbing his side in an attempt to ease the pain as Stiles lowered his fists and seemed to come back to reality. Stiles wiped at the blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth and quickly stepped closer to Derek. "Shit, I didn't mean to do that, are you okay?"

Derek coughed and wiped at his face only to realize that his nose was bleeding. "I'm fine, you just caught me off guard. That was really good though, you'll need to use more of that in a real fight."

Stiles seemed to relax at Derek's words and gave a nod. He shifted on his feet and seemed to mull over a few thoughts. "Do you feel better?" He finally spoke.

Derek thought about it and gave a nod. "It helped me diffuse and take my mind off of everything."

"Do you still...feel bad feelings towards me?"

Derek stepped closer to Stiles and cupped Stiles's cheek in his hand. As he ran his thumb over Stiles' cheek, he sighed through his nose. He still felt like a caged and wounded animal, terrified and angry, but he couldn't forget how Stiles looked in that final video. He had been broken and almost beyond saving.

The thought of seeing Derek was something that helped Stiles' hold on for several more years. He was still angry and needed more answers, but he couldn't pin it on Stiles. It wasn't his fault.

Derek could see the terror in Stiles' eyes even now. The kid standing in front of him was just someone who was terrified of being abandoned and left all alone again.

He gave a shake of his head and pressed his lips to Stiles'. Stiles went rigid at the unexpected touch, hesitating before he responded by sliding his arms around his neck.

Derek slid his hand down to rest on the back of Stiles’ neck and traced his fingers along the base of his hair line. Before Derek, when was the last time that Stiles had experienced gentle human contact and affection? He needed to protect Stiles, and it wasn’t because of some forced indoctrination; it was because he cared about him. His feelings were real, they had to be. Neither of them were just test subjects or pawns in Gerard’s game.

Stiles soon pulled away from the kiss, raising his eyebrows a little. “Not that I don’t want to keep kissing you, but you’re still kinda bleeding.” He pointed out, letting go of him so he could grab a towel for Derek. When he returned, he folded the small towel and brushed the soft fabric against Derek’s face to help clean it up. Derek watched his movements, soon reaching up and wrapping his fingers around Stiles’ wrist.

Stiles glanced up at him in curiosity and stopped dabbing at his face.

“Before me, did you have any friends in Eichen? Or were you on your own the whole time?”

“Most of the friends I had were at the beginning.” Stiles replied, with a shrug. “Just about all of the friends I had are dead.”

Derek remembered several mentions of two other patients and took the towel from Stiles so he could hold it against his nose. “Do the numbers 146 or 163 mean anything to you?”

Stiles tensed and furrowed his eyebrows. “Where did you hear those?”

“They were mentioned in some of the video logs. So you recognize them?”

“Most of the doctors referred to us by our identification numbers. Those belonged to two other kids. They were transferred to other facilities. I guess they wanted to only focus on one freak like me at a time.”

“You’re not a freak.” Stiles rolled his eyes at Derek’s words.

“I kind of am.”

"You shouldn't think of yourself that way.”

“Eh.” Stiles replied dismissively with a shrug, lifting his hands a little. “I’m good with it. It’s become a big part of who I am.”

Derek sighed in resignation since he doubted he'd change Stiles' mind about that. “So, you haven’t heard anything about the other patients?”

“Nope, I’m the only original one left at the facility we were at. As far as I know, everyone else is dead too.” Maybe some of the logs would have some information on where everyone else went...

“I’m guessing you wouldn’t happen to know anything about the ‘Feral Ones’ either, would you?”

Stiles crossed his arms over his chest, bouncing a little on his feet as he frowned. “I don’t know much. I just remember there’d be a lot of times when I’d be in my room, and I’d hear them screaming. At first I thought it was like...Just kids having night terrors, but the screams sounded different. They weren't scared, they sounded angry. Sometimes they’d slam against the walls, they'd hurt themselves, or they'd hurt other people. Finally, someone would come in and they’d get strapped down and sedated, and I never saw them again after that. They probably just got tested on until they finally died from it. Gerard’s kind of a fan of breaking things.” Derek cringed at the words, glancing down at Stiles’ legs as he remembered the vivid sounds of him screaming in the video.

Stiles noticed the downwards glance and gently tilted Derek’s chin up so he’d look at him. “That was years ago, I’m fine. I promise. I’m valuable, so Gerard knows he’d be fucked if he broke me too far.”

 _And that’s where I came in..._ Derek couldn’t help but think before he quickly forced the thought out.

Stiles stretched his arms over his head and let out a yawn. “I don't know about you, but all of that training wiped me out.”

Derek nodded, lowering the towel when it felt like the bleeding had at least slowed down. “I came down in the first place to get something to eat. Are you hungry?”

Stiles thought about it and nodded. “I could eat. We could probably just make sandwiches and go upstairs? I feel like cuddling.”

“Of course you do.” Derek chuckled, shaking his head.

Stiles smiled wider and tilted his head as he watched him curiously. “Are you okay though?” He asked. “A lot happened to you yesterday.”

Derek sighed and flipped the towel in his hands. “No. It's still a lot to process, but I'm not going to blame you and be upset with you. You didn't do anything wrong.”

Stiles nodded and offered a hand out to Derek. “If you ever need to talk, I'm here. I mean, I've never been in a relationship, so I can't exactly offer solid advice, but I’ll always listen.”

Derek gave a slow nod. “Alright, I might take you up on that offer.” He reached out and brushed his fingers against Stiles’ before taking his hand.

Stiles smiled and gave him a soft squeeze. “Awesome, now let's go get some food in our bellies.” He said cheerily.

Derek smiled and shook his head, following Stiles back to the house.

 

“There’s something I should tell you.” Stiles piped up once they had made their sandwiches. He leaned his hip against the counter, staring at his plate as he dumped some garden salsa Sun Chips onto it before handing the bag over to Derek.

“And what's that?” Derek asked, taking a few handfuls of the chips to set on his plate.

“I’m going to have Lydia start recording my dreams and monitor them.” Derek tensed and furrowed his eyebrows, looking back over to him.

“Are you sure?” Stiles shrugged in response, gnawing at his lip as he thought about it.

“Maybe my dreams will have some answers, or at least warn us about things in advance. I want to see if I can learn anything.”

Derek sighed and nodded since he couldn't really argue with that. “Just be careful.”

“I'm always careful.” Derek rolled his eyes and could think of at least several instances where that wasn't the case.

“I'm think I'm going to also start seeing if I can figure out my power later, see if anything works and I can figure out how to trigger it.”

“You might end up overexerting yourself if you try to do too much today.”

Stiles shrugged. “That just means I'll sleep soundly and make Lydia’s job easier.” He picked up his plate and stood away from the counter, offering a hand to Derek. “Come on, you’re starting to do that thinking too much face. Let’s go hang out in one of our rooms and eat this awesome lunch.”

Derek rolled his eyes with a small smile on his face and took Stiles’ hand before picking his own plate up. “It's nothing special, Stiles, just sandwiches and chips.”

“Yeah, but they're awesome sandwiches and chips.” Stiles grinned at him.

“You’re pretty easily impressed aren't you?” Derek asked with a raise of an eyebrow.

Stiles shrugged a little. “Maybe, but it keeps life interesting.”

“Fair enough.” Derek replied, following Stiles upstairs to Derek’s room.

Derek sat with his back against the headboard while Stiles sat across from him and faced him as he crossed his legs and shifted to get comfortable. As they ate, Derek thought about the kid in front of him, about the things that Stiles had gone through. He still didn't know much about Stiles and he'd only seen glimpses of his hardships.

Ever since he had met Stiles, he wondered how Stiles had maintained his unbroken spirit during the duration of his long stay at Eichen. It was just starting to hit Derek that he was most likely the reason.

He then remembered the way Stiles froze when he saw Derek for the first time and paused in taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Hey, you mentioned when we first met that you had a feeling about me. You said that you felt like you needed to stick with me, do you know where those feelings came from?” Maybe Stiles really did have the created bond. Derek tried to stop that train of thought, but it was nearly impossible.

Stiles shook his head at that. “I don't really know where any of my feelings come from. They're like weird senses of dejá vu.” He replied before taking another bite of his sandwich. “I also said I felt like you could get us out of there, and you did, so it was probably just that.”

Derek nodded and murmured an apology before he continued eating, trying to calm the thoughts and potential fears in his mind. Stiles was just an experiment, not one of the doctors that pulled the strings to torment the both of them. “You’re probably right...Maybe one of the files we took will help us understand your premonitions better too.”

Stiles shrugged. “Maybe. I think for now though, we’d be better off focusing on trying to take the company down.” He replied, drumming his fingers on his leg before wiping the dust from his chips on his sweatpants. “They’re going to keep coming from us, and they're going to keep hurting people otherwise.”

Derek nodded slowly in agreement. “I’ll talk to Chris later to see if he has any ideas of what to do next and where to go from there.” He murmured, shrugging one of his shoulders as he thought about it. He stared down at his plate, reaching down and grabbing another sandwich half before glancing up to Stiles again.

Stiles had his head cocked and his eyebrows furrowed, staring off into space with unfocused eyes as he breathed slowly through his nose. Derek frowned, reaching over and waving his hand in front of his face, not getting a response. “Stiles?” He asked, snapping his fingers in front of his face. Stiles finally reacted with a flinch and exhaled a long sigh through his mouth. “Are you okay?”

Stiles nodded, shifting on the bed and finally looking at Derek again. “If you ever see her again, you need to be careful, no matter what happens. You need to be careful, and you need to stay focused.”

Derek furrowed his eyebrows at that. “See her again?”

Stiles nodded, lowering his head and focusing on tugging at a loose thread on the bedding. “You need to be careful.”

Derek thought about Stiles’ words and finally came to the realization of who he could possibly be talking about.

Kate.


	13. Chapter 13

Derek found himself deep in the woods, disoriented and lost. He could hear the distorted sounds of voices and laughter and could see silhouettes of people running out of the corner of his eye. If he looked over to them, they'd be gone but he could still hear the voices.

 _"Save himmmm...."_ The voices whispered, overlapping and echoing each other as they continued.

_"Don't let them corrupt him."_

_"Only you can save him."_

_"Never let them take him..."_

The voices got louder and louder as they grew more frantic. Derek lifted his hands to his ears, closing his eyes tightly and exhaling shakily as he tried to get them to stop.

"Derek...." One voice finally whispered, causing Derek to open his eyes. It was Stiles' voice.

Derek looked around for any sign of him, still just seeing blackened trees and fog.

"Derek." Stiles' voice whispered again, this time from behind him.

The voice began to repeat itself, in a different place every time as it started to get faster and faster until it distorted.

"Stiles!" Derek shouted over the voices, exhaling shakily when they finally stopped.

He looked around, balling his hands into fists. Where was he? What the hell was going on?

"Derek..." Derek whirled around and this time, Stiles stood behind him.

"Stiles? What's going on? What are they trying to tell me?" Derek asked, reaching and grabbing Stiles by the shoulders.

Stiles watched him blankly before he shrugged and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the left one slowly filled with blood. Derek pulled his hands away quickly, watching blood start to trickle down from a gash on Stiles' forehead and his nose as he watched Derek. Stiles smiled at him with blood reddened teeth, reaching out and grabbing Derek's wrists. "Remember, Derek, you need to be careful, no matter what happens. You need to be careful, and you need to stay focused." He whispered to him, the same words that he had told him the previous day.

 

Derek's eyes shot open as he quickly sat up, inhaling sharply as he quickly looked around for Stiles. He had fallen asleep with Stiles the previous night, but now his bed was empty.

Derek rushed to his feet and out the door to go find Stiles. He searched the house with heavy footsteps, looking in every room he could before finally making it to the training room. There Stiles stood, working on his offense with one of the punching bags in a corner of the room.

In his relief, Derek came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Stiles to jump in surprise. Stiles quickly whirled around, ready to attack but relaxing when he realized it was just Derek. Stiles exhaled and pulled out one of his ear buds.

Derek could make out a Three Days Grace song coming out of it. "You scared the shit out of me. What's up?" Stiles asked, raising his eyebrows a little as he tried to calm himself down.

Shrugging, Derek tried to think of an answer. He didn't really know what he could say. "Bad dream." He stated simply.

Stiles nodded, sliding his arms around Derek's shoulders. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Derek lifted a hand to brush against Stiles' cheek, looking his face over before he shook his head. "No, not really." He didn't get why he was having these dreams. He didn't recall having any like them before he was admitted to the Eichen facility.

Stiles nodded a little as he pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "That's alright. Just a reminder that I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Derek sighed and gave a slow nod, cupping Stiles' face in his hands and looking him over. Stiles stared up into his eyes and brushed his fingers against the back of his neck.

"I'm here." Stiles repeated softly, brushing their noses together before he began pressing soft kisses over Derek's face. "I will always be here."

Derek nodded and pressed his lips to Stiles’ for a brief kiss. It was just a stupid dream, and it didn't even make any sense. He didn't have anything to worry about. He needed to remind himself that Stiles was here, and that's what mattered.

Stiles smiled at the kiss and rubbed the back of Derek's neck with his fingertips in a gentle attempt to help him feel a little better. "So I'm going to be training in the mornings, so if you wake up and I'm not nearby, I'll most likely be here." He told him once he pulled away.

Derek nodded at his answer, feeling relieved that he would at least know the first place to check in case he woke up after another Stiles related distorted nightmare. That's when it dawned on him. He was having nightmares lately, but he wasn't the one that normally had dreams like this. Stiles was. "Have you been still having dreams? Premonition ones?"

Stiles stared at him briefly and turned back towards the punching bag. "You'll have to ask Lydia."

"Have you been watching them once you wake up?"

"Nope." Stiles replied, focusing on cracking his knuckles and stretching his fingers out.

Derek couldn't help but think he seemed a little dismissive about it. "Do you remember what you've been dreaming about?"

"Not particularly. Like I said, ask Lydia and she'll probably show you the footage."

"I have one more question. What does it feel like when you start to sense something?"

Stiles shrugged. "Usually it doesn't just come in flashes. It also comes in noises, scents, even tastes. Sometimes good things taste sweet, or they smell really good, like before Lydia came, I would get flashes of her perfume." He gave a brief explanation, his eyebrows knitted together as he seemed to be thinking about just how he could explain it well enough for Derek to really understand.

Derek watched him think in silence before he finally spoke up. "What about right now? Do you have any of those senses?"

Stiles stared at the punching bag, tapping his foot as he pursed his lips. He finally looked up to Derek and nodded. Derek didn't like the troubled expression on his face. 

"I smell smoke."

 

 

Derek's next stop after leaving Stiles alone in the gym was the infirmary. His guesses of Lydia's whereabouts proved to be correct when he walked in and spotted her sorting medication and splitting the supplies into halves. Half remained where it was, and the other half she was putting inside of duffle bags.

Derek frowned and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the doorway. "Is there something I should know?"

Lydia jumped at the sound of Derek's voice and dropped one of the pill bottles. The plastic casing clattered to the floor with a brief echo before the room fell silent again.

Lydia sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Some of us have been talking, and we figured that it would be best if we prepared things like this, in case we needed to get out of here quickly and move on to somewhere else. So I'm halving the medication, aside from some of the emergency stuff that we may need a lot of."

"It's a good plan, but why is it coming up all of a sudden?" Derek asked curiously. He probably should talk to Chris after this and check with him to make sure that everything was okay.

Lydia sighed and picked up her tablet, a large translucent piece of piece of technology. She tapped on the glass, flicking away some smaller screens until she found what she was looking for. She gingerly double tapped it and set the tablet back down as a paused video came up.

"This is something from Stiles' dream. It might be the clearest thing to come out of the session we tried." She tapped play and stepped back so Derek could watch.

The images came from Stiles' view point, and by the looks of it, he was running through the woods. Stiles kept looking back, seemingly checking if he was being followed. Derek could hear the faint sounds of near inhuman screams in the distance. Stiles' breathing was rapid and uneven as he stumbled through the trees, trying to follow and orange tinted light beyond where the trees ended. He heard a twig snap behind him and cursed, pushing a low branch out of his way and finally breaking through bushes.

Stiles skidded to a stop once everything was encompassed by an orange glow, inhaling sharply as he stared forwards. The safe house was engulfed in flames.

That was all Derek needed to see. He tapped the screen, looking up to Lydia.

"How much preparation is going on? Has anyone else seen this?" Why didn't Stiles just tell him this directly?

"Only Chris has seen it. He's talked to just about everyone though, telling them it's a back up plan, in case something happens and we need to leave quickly." Lydia answered as she zipped the duffle bag up and lifted it by the straps. "There's a van in the garage. We're turning it into sort of an ambulance in case anyone gets hurt when we have to leave, or on the road. We're going to start making sure we keep all of our stuff packed, or at the very least have half our clothes in the cars."

Derek nodded in agreement. "Those are all solid plans. If something does happen, we most likely won't have time to run around and grab everything."

Lydia nodded, setting a few more bottles of pills in the bag before she zipped it up. "The van is almost finished, we already set up a sort of cot in there so we can use it as an operating table."

Derek nodded and reached out to the bag. "I can carry that for you." When Lydia stepped aside, he lifted it by the straps. "What else have you seen in Stiles' dreams?"

"A lot of it has been really jumbled so far. Sometimes there are flashes of images or garbled voices. There's been a few nightmares besides the one I showed you, but they seemed to be more about the torture he endured during his treatments."

Derek nodded, hating that Stiles was still tormented by the dreams. He wondered if there was even a way to stop it or if Stiles was doomed to dream about that place and his premonitions for the rest of his life. It made him think about his own dreams. Most of the time, his was just garbled nonsense...But Stiles's dreams? Those ones tended to happen.

Derek sighed as he carried the bag out to the van, setting it in the back and looking over the set up. There were several mobile machines set along one side of the van, directly across from the cot of blankets and pillows. Derek nodded in approval and set the bag down before shutting it up again.

 

 

The smoke that Stiles had been smelling seemed to be getting stronger throughout the day.

Chris went into his group's emergency protocol, bringing everyone that was on gate watch inside to monitor the cameras. If something did happen and someone came, they wouldn't lose anyone right away. They kept the lights off throughout most of the house, anywhere with big windows that could alert any intruders of where anyone inside of the house was currently located.

The attack started just after midnight.

Derek was with Chris in his office when Erica burst through the doors, out of breath and looking distressed.

"Someone's here. We saw an armored Eichen truck coming up towards the gates. Boyd radioed me, saying it just smashed through them." She explained in a rush, motioning to the walkie-talkie on her belt.

Lights outside captured Derek's attention and he could see the truck pulling up to the driveway, stopping halfway and just sitting there.

Derek cursed and looked to Chris. Chris nodded and faced Erica, motioning for them to stay away from the windows. "Erica, get everyone up and tell them to get their weapons and have them get into position. Keep the lights off and make sure they stay away from the windows. If they try to come in, we'll take them down."

Erica nodded and turned on her heel, leaving the room with her radio in hand as she began repeating Chris' orders to everyone else.

Derek looked to Chris, heading towards the door and balling his hands into fists. "I'm going to check on Stiles, I need to make sure he knows what to do."

Chris nodded in agreement. "That's fine. Keep him safe, we'll make sure that they don't get him."

Derek thanked Chris before rushing off. He turned on his radio, taking it in his hand and holding down the call button. "Stiles, what's your location?"

It only took seconds for Stiles' voice to come through the speaker. "Training room."

"On my way." Derek replied, reattaching the radio to his belt and instead unholstered his gun. He kept low as he rushed to the double doors, pushing it open and shutting them behind him.

"Stiles?" He called in a low voice, looking around the mostly dark room.

"Over here." Stiles replied, poking his head out from the side of some of the storage lockers.

Derek sauntered over to him, cupping his face and kissing his forehead briefly. "You know what to do, right?" He asked, pulling away to look him in the eyes.

Stiles nodded. "Only fight if I have to, and if something goes wrong, run until I reach the marked tree." He looked like he wanted to argue about the plan, but kept it to himself.

"That's right. Do you have the gun I gave you?" Stiles nodded, pulling it out and showing him before replacing it in the back of his pants again.

"Good. You know how to use it, but just be careful if it's in the dark."

"I promise I'll do my best not to shoot one of you guys." Stiles snorted with a raise of his eyebrows.

Derek shook his head a little, sighing and rubbing the back of Stiles' neck. "If you need me, yell for me. I'll come running." He promised, leaning forwards to rest their foreheads together.

Stiles nodded and brushed his fingers against Derek's jaw, nuzzling his nose against his. "I will."

"Everyone, turn your radios off. We don't want them to give us away, we all know what to do, and if it goes south, we take out as many as we can, get the cars, and go to the meeting place." Chris' voice came through the radio, echoing a little as it came through both Derek and Stiles'.

Derek twisted the switch on his as Stiles did the same. "Are you going to stay in here?"

Stiles shook his head. "There's only one exit and that's the entrance. I'm going to hide near the kitchen."

Derek nodded in agreement. "Good thinking." He pat Stiles on the shoulder and pulled away to lead the way to the door. He carefully pushed it open and looked around to make sure the coast was clear.

Stiles coughed and covered his nose with the back of his hand. "Ugh, I'm sick of smelling this stupid fucking smoke." He grumbled under his breath.

The weird thing was...Derek could smell it too. That's when he realized what was going on. They had set the house on fire.

Derek looked back to Stiles, trying to keep his composure. "You need to get out of here. Get to the tree and wait there for me."

Stiles frowned before he nodded and kissed him hard, tangling his fingers in Derek's hair and holding him close before he finally forced himself to pull away. "I'll see you soon." He whispered in a hopeful voice, taking Derek's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Derek nodded and pressed a brief kiss to Stiles' neck, brushing against some of the moles there. "I'll see you soon."

As Derek pulled away, a voice came through the windows, via a megaphone.

"Derek, if you're in there, come outside, please!" Derek tensed when he recognized the voice, squeezing Stiles' hand tightly. What the hell was Kate doing here?

He didn't realize how tightly he was gripping Stiles until the other let out an 'ow' and tried to pull away. Derek whispered an apology, getting to his feet.

As soon as he did, there was the loud crashing as one of the large windows shattered. A man climbed in through the glass, not even seeming to register that he was cutting his hands. He spotted Stiles and Derek when he was halfway in and let out an inhuman screech at him. Derek quickly got in front of Stiles, reminded of the chaos that had ensued when they were leaving the hospital.

"Stiles, go now. Get out of here as fast as you can." Derek quickly took his gun in his hands and flicked the safety off.

"But, Derek," Stiles started, but Derek quickly cut him off.

"Just go!"

Stiles bit his lip and nodded, turning and running. As his footsteps faded, the man got through the window and steadied himself before he growled at Derek. Derek fired a warning shot in his shoulder, earning another screech. The man briefly hesitated before he seemed to recover from the pain and ran at him.

Derek shot him again, getting him right in the forehead this time and putting him down. He got a better look at the person and could see a metallic collar looped around his neck. The red light on it blinked rapidly several times before finally going just as dead as the man wearing it.

Derek could hear the crashing of more of them breaking in around the house and cursed, cocking his gun and peering out the window.

He grit his teeth at the sight of Kate and climbed through the window, letting his anger get the better of him. He deserved answers and he was going to get them.

"What are you doing here, Kate?" He called, keeping his finger on the trigger as he held the gun at his side.

Kate smiled at the sight of him, resting her hands on her hips. "Derek, it's so good to see you again. I've really missed you."

"Cut the act, Kate. I know what you did." That only made her smile grow. "How did you find us?"

"So, you know you're just a pawn? That's good at least." She nodded, tapping her boot and smirking. "We picked up some footage from the old archive. Many of the cameras are broken and just for show, but sometimes, a few of them pick up something interesting. We saw you, saw the car, and now I'm here. It’s that simple." 

Derek growled, resisting the urge to just shoot her now. "Why are you here? I'm not going to let you take Stiles."

"Oh, Sweetheart, I'm not here for Stiles today. Consider this just us saying ‘hello’ to you all." Kate laughed, clearly enjoying this.

Derek couldn't believe that this was the same woman that he had spent the last few years with. "Tell me why, Kate! Why me?"

"Oh, sweetheart, it had to be you, Derek. The moment that kid chose your name, you were screwed. Let me tell you, it was a real bitch trying to find you, but once I did, you were actually extremely easy to get close to."

Derek felt bile rise up in the back of his throat and struggled to swallow it down. So their entire relationship, every single part of it, it was all fake. He shook his head, balling his free hand in a fist so tight, he could feel his nails biting deep into his palm.

"I know about the experiment they used to try and create an emotional bond." He finally forced himself to speak, trying to focus solely on Kate and nothing else. He could focus on the pain later, once they were out of here and safe. "Was it used on me?"

Derek hated how smug Kate looked at the question. "Yes." The simple word sent Derek's emotions into a frenzy. All at once, he felt waves of rage, sorrow, and confusion come down. He wanted to scream.

"The beauty of it is that with the other subjects we used for other patients, the emotional bond turned them into something like nearly mindless slaves. They could hardly even think for themselves if it wasn't what their bond mate wanted, or didn't relate to them in general. But you...You're completely different. You can feel it, can't you? You're still independent, but your bond with Stiles goes much deeper than the others. The others aren't even comparable to yours and Stiles' bond. You're probably even starting to sense things. I can at least tell you know, the more you're with him, the stronger it's going to get."

That...That actually explained a lot about the dreams Derek was having. He felt the gun shake in his hand and shook his head, trying to force the idea out. Kate could be lying like she always had been, but what if she wasn't? It wouldn't make any sense otherwise about how she knew what was going on with Derek.

Derek shook his head, shooting a scowl at Kate. "I'm not going to let you use us."

Kate laughed in response. "Baby, you're not going to have a choice in the matter."

As the sounds of the chaos inside the house subsided, Derek started to hear gunshots going off in the distance. They sounded farther off, like they were coming from the...Oh god, Stiles. Derek's first instinct was to start running as fast as he could towards him, to get him out of danger. He prepared to run, but was stopped by Kate stepping forwards. She pulled a gun out of her holster, smiling as she aimed it at him.

"Not so fast, Derek. We're not finished here." She stated, snapping her fingers. "Get him, boy."

Derek heard a screech come from his left and quickly turned in time for the man to tackle him. The man growled above him, snapping his jaws and scratching at Derek's arms as he tried to cause him some real damage. Derek grit his teeth together when he felt blood start to trickle down his arms from how deep the nails dug into his arm.

He heard Kate laugh and shot a quick glance over to her, keeping his hands on the man. "Have fun, Derek. While you're busy with him, I'll check in on our mutual interest."

Derek's eyes widened at her words. "Stay away from him!" He shouted at her, quickly trying to roll the feral man off of him.

Derek scrambled to his feet as the patient rolled up and grabbed at Derek's legs. Derek quickly kicked him in the face, cringing when the man didn't even seem to process the break in his nose. He aimed his gun and fired until he stopped clawing at him, exhaling and turning the gun on Kate.

He panicked when she was no longer there, looking around and cursing when he couldn’t find any sign of her. He flipped on his radio, pulling it up and holding down the microphone's button.

"Can anyone hear me?" He asked, struggling to calm himself.

He began walking in a swift pace around the house, looking for any sign of anyone else.

"We can hear you. Where are you, Derek? We all made it out." Chris' voice came through. 

"Front of the house. Is Stiles with you?"

Derek felt panic bubble up in his chest, but the strange thing about it was that it felt foreign, like it was someone else's. Before he could dwell on it, it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Chris' next words sent Derek into a panic that was entirely his own emotions. "No, we haven't seen him."

Derek broke out into a run, heading towards where he had told Stiles to go; towards where the distant gun shots were.

As he turned the corner, Derek skidded to a stop at the sight of a figure sprawled out on the ground. Derek recognized the red hoodie and ran, dropping beside Stiles and rolling him onto his back.

Derek almost screamed. Everything became a blur as he searched him with shaky hands. There was blood, there was so much blood. He cradled Stiles' head in his arm, trying to get him to wake up. He gently pat his cheek, murmuring for him to open his eyes. Derek cast a glance at the gash on Stiles' head, biting his lip and shaking and he held him tighter.

He pulled his radio up when he started to process voices coming from it, lifting it in a shaky hand. "Bring the medical van to the house right now, Stiles is really hurt."

He dropped the radio, putting all of his attention on Stiles again. After a few minutes, he could hear the sound of the cars pulling up and winced at the sudden amount of light when he looked up.

Lydia and Scott were the first ones out of the van, rushing over to get to them. Scott reached for Stiles to help lift him but Derek snapped at him. "Don't touch him." He growled, holding Stiles tighter as Scott recoiled.

"Derek, we need to get him to the van and start treating his head wound. You can come with us to make sure he's safe." Lydia assured him in a soft tone, placing her hand on Derek's shoulder hesitantly, making sure it wasn't too much.

Derek stayed rigid but nodded and stood, careful to not jostle Stiles too much. His eyes glazed over at just how limp Stiles was in his arms. Kate did this because he wasn't watching Stiles. He should have never left him alone.

He followed Lydia to the van and helped get Stiles inside before laying him flat on the cot they were using as a makeshift table. Scott got back in the driver's seat and waited for the other cars to start leaving before he followed after them.

Lydia worked on hooking Stiles up to a few of the machines, flipping them on one by one. The soft beeping of Stiles' heart on the mobile EKG monitor was the most beautiful sound Derek had ever heard. He started to relax, sitting out of the way and staring at his hands. There was so much blood on them, he couldn't even tell where Stiles' blood ended and where his began.

He blanked out and let himself fall into his thoughts until Lydia finally placed a hand on his shoulder again. "I'll take a look at your wounds." She spoke in a soft voice again.

"Stiles?" Derek asked, keeping his head down.

"He's going to be out for a while, but he's okay." Lydia assured him.

Derek looked to where Stiles was resting, sighing at the bandage wrapped around his forehead. He gave a slow nod, raising his arms enough so Lydia could clean and treat them. Once she finished, Derek went to Stiles' side so he could lay beside him and watch over him.

He remembered Kate's words and brushed his fingers across Stiles' cheek, sighing to himself. So he really was indoctrinated. After all of that, he had to find out from Kate, of all people. He pressed a soft kiss to his mouth and whispered an apology to him. "I'm so sorry, Stiles. I'll do a better job at protecting you, I won't let you get hurt any more. We'll figure whatever this is out..."

He sighed softly, resting his head back down on the cot and closing his eyes.

 

 

He didn't know how much time had passed, but when he woke up, Stiles was staring at him. Derek blinked slowly and rubbed at his eyes to help wake up before lowering them. "Hey." He whispered, sliding his arm around Stiles' waist.

"Hey." Stiles murmured back, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them again and Derek bit his lip at the sight of how much red was in Stiles' left eye. It looked just like in his dream. Derek sighed, lifting his hand to brush his fingers against Stiles' jaw to help comfort him.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asked.

"Like shit." Stiles whispered, earning a nod from Derek.

"Does it hurt at all?" Stiles shook his head, wrapping his fingers loosely around Derek's wrist.

"No, Lydia has me on some pretty good medicine. I just feel kind of groggy and tired."

"Fair enough...Can you tell me what happened?"

Stiles closed his eyes and let out a soft hum as he thought. "I was in the woods, at the meeting place, when some of those things came out of the trees. I shot some and fought my way back to the house, since it wasn't really safe back there. And when I got there, this woman was waiting. She...said something and then that's the last thing I remember."

Derek frowned at his words, fighting the urge to punch something and instead just focus on Stiles instead. "Do you remember what she said to you?"

Stiles pursed his lips together and furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know...It's all kind of hazy right now. I know there was something about how she hoped it would wake me up or something, but other than that...I don't know."

Derek didn't like the sound of that at all. "Wake you up?"

Stiles shrugged his shoulder and tapped his fingertips against Derek's wrist in a gentle rhythm. "I don't know. I think that's what she said, but I don't really want to know what she meant. Not right now anyways."

Derek nodded in understanding. Stiles had just taken a really hard hit to the head; right now the only thing he needed to do was rest. "Do you want to go back to sleep?" He asked, pulling his hand away from Stiles' so he could rub his back to soothe him.

Stiles thought about it and shrugged. "I just want to lay down. I might fall asleep eventually, but right now I'm okay."

Derek nodded, pressing a brief kiss to his lips before pulling away. Stiles gave a small smile and hummed in content. "Thanks." He whispered, closing his eyes.

Derek smiled back until he realized something. The van wasn't moving. He frowned and up, looking around to see that they were also alone in the van. He had been so focused on making sure Stiles was okay, he didn't even realize it.

"Hang on." He murmured, noticing Stiles' confused expression. He opened the car door and jumped when he saw that Scott was just about to open it.

"Hey, I just wanted to check if you guys had woken up yet. We're at the new safe house. There's another group here too, so there's going to be more of us."

Derek looked past Scott and up at the big house. He wondered how many of these there were anyways.

"Is Stiles okay?" Scott asked, peering past Stiles to get a look at Stiles.

Stiles nodded, sitting and using his hand to visor his eyes and shield him from the sun. Derek glanced back at him and lifted one of the blankets so he could drape it over him enough to cover half his face. Stiles thanked him before taking Derek's hand to help get out of the car and onto solid ground. Stiles stumbled unsteadily for a moment and reached out to Derek for support. 

Derek slid his arm around his shoulders to keep him steady. Stiles leaned against him and sighed as he kept his head down.

"So is everyone all settled now?" Derek asked, looking over to Scott as he took slow steps towards the house with Stiles.

Scott nodded in response. "Some of us are sharing rooms. We figured you two might want to share, is that okay with you guys?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Derek replied, rubbing Stiles' upper arm.

"Alright, I'll show you where it is."

As Scott led them through the building, Derek looked around to get a feel for the place. He could see people from their team and other people he didn't recognize wandering around, unpacking equipment or just doing their own thing.

The room that Derek and Stiles were sharing was spacious with a large bed in the center. Their duffle bags had been set in the corner of the room, but other than that, everything else was untouched. "Can you close the blinds?" Derek asked Scott, leading Stiles to the bed so he could sit. Once the room was darker, Stiles tugged the blanket off his head and sighed as he wrapped it tighter around himself.

"Thanks." He murmured, closing his eyes and tilting his head back.

"No problem. I'll let you guys get settled. We're having a meeting with the group in a little while, but other than that, you should be free to do whatever you want." Scott pat Stiles' shoulder as he spoke, smiling a little at him.

Derek could tell that Scott was exhausted. They all were.

Stiles nodded and opened his eyes to look up to Scott. "Thanks, man. We'll come down when it's ready if I'm feeling up to it. If not, you'll have to fill me in."

Scott nodded. "Will do. I'll catch up with you later." He stepped back, turning and heading out of the room to give them some privacy.

Stiles sighed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" Derek kept his voice soft in case Stiles had a headache.

Stiles thought about it and shook his head. "I want to take a bath first at least, I feel gross, and I know I'm not sturdy enough for a shower."

"I'll fill the tub for you, that'll give you a minute to relax again."

Stiles watched Derek go into the bathroom to turn the hot water on, along with some cold to prevent it from being too overheated. He looked around the bathroom as he waited, noticing it was pretty well stocked. They must have just prepared it for them.

Derek sighed as he sat on the edge of the decent sized tub, finally getting a moment to think about everything. So, he really did have his mind toyed with and they made him have an emotional tie to Stiles. He shot a glance towards the bedroom and thought about some of the weird things that had been happening, like the dreams. There was also that moment of foreign panic he had briefly felt.

He put his head in his hands and lightly bounced his foot in agitation. This was so fucked up. They needed to get more information as soon as possible so they could set out to start working towards their goal and finally be truly free.

The concept of freedom sounded strange to Derek now. How free could they really be? How free could _he_ really be? He had no idea what would happen once they brought Eichen to the ground.

Would they all go their separate ways? Would he see Stiles again? Would the bond allow it if he didn't see Stiles anymore? Would it break them?

He dropped his hands from his face and stood, shutting the water off and heading back to the bedroom. Stiles shot him a tired smile and carefully stood, placing a hand on the wooden headboard of the bed to keep himself balanced. 

Derek stopped when he was close enough to rest his hands on Stiles' hips. Stiles watched him with a curious expression as Derek exhaled through his nose and pressed a gentle kiss to Stiles' head, just above the bandages.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked, leaning back a little to look at Derek better. Derek shook his head and wrapped his arms around Stiles' waist, burying his face in his neck and trying to take in the smell of Stiles. At first he could just smell antiseptic and some of the dried blood caked onto his skin, underneath that was the smell of his detergent and the fresh scent of Stiles' soap.

Stiles slid his arms around Derek to return the embrace, lifting a hand high to brush his fingers over the hair at the base of Derek's neck in an attempt to comfort him. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, but I'm here." He whispered to him, tilting his head to rest against Derek's.

Derek just stood there in silence, holding Stiles until Stiles' legs began to shake. It was then that he remembered what Stiles was supposed to be doing right now. He let out a soft apology as he pulled away enough to help guide Stiles to the bathroom.

"It's fine, comforting you is more important. It would be pretty shitty if I didn't care about your needs when you take such good care of me." Stiles pointed out with a light snort.

Derek shrugged a little, rubbing Stiles's side once they got beside the tub. Stiles unzipped his jacket, shrugging it off his broad shoulders and tossing it aside once he got it off. He grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt, starting to tug upwards before pausing and looking to Derek. "Do you want to get in with me?"

Derek glanced between Stiles and the tub before shrugging. "Are you sure?"

Stiles nodded and pulled his shirt off. "Yeah." He murmured.

Derek gave a slow nod in response, turning towards the bedroom. "I'm going to grab a fresh change of clothes for us both. Can you finish undressing or do you need help?"

"I should be fine. If I need anything I'll let you know."

Derek headed to their bags, unzipping Stiles' first, getting out a set of pajamas and boxer-briefs for him. He grabbed a set of his clothes too out of his own bag, heading back to the bathroom and setting them on the counter. Stiles was seated on the edge of the tub now, kicking his jeans and boxers down his legs and discarding them in a pile with the rest of his clothes.

Derek bent and kissed his head, earning a small smile from Stiles. "You're kind of adorable when you're affectionate, just saying." Stiles replied in amusement, finally getting the rest of his clothes off.

Derek smiled and shook his head. "Whatever you say." He murmured, stepping back so he could work his own clothes off. He tossed them to the pile with Stiles', stretching his arms a little to ease the residual soreness from the evening before. Once he leaned just right and felt a light pop in his back, Derek exhaled in content and went over to the sink. He grabbed one of the wash cloths and wet it with warm water before ringing it out. Once he called it good, he walked back to Stiles and cleaned some of the caked on flecks of blood off of his face and neck.

"Do you want to take your bandages off now or change them after we get out?" He asked, glancing up to Stiles' eyes. Derek furrowed his eyebrows a little when he noticed that Stiles looked flustered. "What's wrong?"

Stiles shook his head a little, reaching his hand out to brush his fingers against Derek's stomach. He gingerly traced his abs, biting lightly at his lip. "This is the first time I've seen you naked."

Derek nodded slowly, tilting Stiles' chin up once he finished cleaning off the blood. He leaned forwards and kissed him tenderly, keeping the pressure light. Stiles slid his arms loosely around his neck, grazing his tongue along Derek's lip to coax Derek's out. Derek opened his mouth, sliding his tongue out to brush against Stiles' before easing it inside of his mouth to trace along the inside. He soon broke the kiss and kissed over the bandages on Stiles' forehead.

Stiles let out a soft sigh of content and kept his eyes closed. "We should have sex."

"No." Derek instantly replied with a shake of his head. The hurt expression on Stiles' face made him further explain. "Someday we'll have sex, but not until you're healed. I'm not going to take advantage of you when you have a concussion."

The hurt faded from Stiles' face and he nodded. "Oh, okay. That makes sense." He smiled, shifting his hips on the edge of the tub. "I'm glad you're looking out for me."

Derek nodded and motioned to his bandages. "Yes or no to taking those off?"

Stiles pursed his lips and nodded. "Yeah."

Derek nodded and unraveled the bandages, rolling them up again once they were off. He threw the gauze away before he checked Stiles' stitches. The surrounding area was bruised from the force of his hit, but at least it wasn't bleeding.

"How bad does it look?" Stiles asked curiously.

Derek sighed. "It's bad, but it could have been a lot worse. You got really lucky."

Stiles nodded with a sigh of his own. "Okay." He murmured before nodding his head towards the tub. "We should probably get in before it gets cold." Derek helped Stiles to his feet and stepped into the tub, helping Stiles in as well. Once they got situated, he let Stiles ease in between his legs so he could rest his back against Derek's chest. Derek tilted his head back and closed his eyes as he slid his hands up Stiles' back to rub his shoulders. 

Stiles let out a soft noise of content, until Derek rubbed with his thumb. He gasped out, jerking away from Derek. "Sorry, are you okay?" Derek asked, opening his eyes and looked down before he tensed.

On the back of Stiles' shoulder, just at the base of his neck was a bruise spreading in jagged lines. In the center, Derek could quickly see the puncture from a syringe. "What the fuck is this?" He whispered, brushing his thumb over the bruise.

Stiles whined and wriggled in discomfort.

"Even just that hurts?" Derek asked, glancing up and pulling his hands away.

"Sort of. It just doesn't feel good." Stiles mumbled, looking over his shoulder to try and look at the bruise.

"Kate must have injected you with something." Derek stated, sighing and shaking his head. "What the fuck could she have wanted if she didn't take you?"

Stiles bit his lip, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "There's going only one way we're going to find out."

Derek sighed and slid his arms around Stiles' waist so he wouldn't risk touching his shoulder and hurting him further. "I'm sorry." He murmured, resting his chin on his uninjured shoulder.

"Don't." Stiles said softly. "It's not your fault."

"She tried to distract me to get to you, and she succeeded. You got hurt....And I..." Derek trailed off, exhaling sharply through his nose and tightening his grip on Stiles' waist. He shook his head instead of speaking, still not wanting to talk about what Kate told him. He lowered his head so his forehead was against Stiles’ skin.

Stiles glanced back when Derek went quiet, placing his hands over his and rubbing his arms. "I'm here." He whispered to him.

Derek nodded and brushed his fingers against Stiles’ side. “I know.” He whispered, sighing softly. “I know.”


	14. Chapter 14

After Stiles and Derek's bath, Derek took to exploring the new safe house while Stiles slept in their room. The bath had thoroughly finished tiring Stiles out, and the moment he was bandaged and dressed, he went straight to bed.

Derek had seen a few of their group members along the way; he had expressed concerns with Lydia over Stiles' bruised puncture mark and talked to Boyd about perimeter checks.

Afterwards, Chris met with him and introduced him to one of the guys running the safe house. He was a kind-faced young man, around Derek's age, who went by the name of Jordan Parrish. Parrish sat at his desk with some maps laid out on the table. Derek would have to ask Chris later on what they were planning.

"How did you get into this ordeal?" Derek asked him, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall of the study.

"Parrish was once my second in command. I trained him myself and once his training was finished, he took over more of Eichen's security roles." Chris explained briefly.

"I was in security in some of the deeper locked locations. When I left, I managed to take a lot with me." Parrish added, looking from Chris to Derek.

Derek thought about it and drummed his fingers over his arm. "You wouldn't happen to have any information on Patient 192 would you? Or recognize the name?"

Parrish furrowed his eyebrows in recognition. "Yeah, I believe we do. What do you know about that patient?"

"He's upstairs right now." Derek replied.

Parrish nodded and got to his feet, heading to one of the shelves against the wall to look through some of the folders. "There's a lot we've collected from various facilities, but there's a decent amount that we've found that connects to Patient 192."

"Really?" Derek asked, stepping away from the wall and heading closer to the shelf so he could get a look at the folders as Parrish began balancing and forming a small stack on his forearm.

"There are several videos that are therapy sessions, things that are closer to torture, records and progress information..." Parrish trailed off, grabbing one more folder before passing the stack off to Derek. "You might be able to find whatever you're looking for in it. We haven't watched a lot of it. We haven't had the chance, and what I have seen...It's brutal."

Derek nodded, looking down at the folders. "I'll go check them out now, thank you." He said as he carried them out of the room to find somewhere secluded to watch the files.

Lydia allowed Derek to borrow her tablet for it and once he made himself comfortable in a quiet corner of the safe house, he opened up one of the first folders and plugged it in.

The drive brought up a window with several video files, all labeled as therapy sessions. Derek tapped one of the first ones labeled as an electro therapy session and brought the recording up.

_"The date is March 20th. We're currently trying to unlock Patient 000-192's potential and see just how far his abilities can go. They're still new, so we're going to trigger them and take further steps once we know just how far they can go." A doctor explained as the video cut to Stiles and where he sat shackled to a chair. He sat alone in a nearly empty room while the doctors watched from behind a thick panel of safety glass. He had monitors against his temples and some on his collar; Derek could see the tips peeking out of his shirt. In front of him stood a table with an orange placed on top._

_"Okay, Stiles, let's try this again, move the orange on the table." The doctor called through a speaker._

_Stiles looked up, biting his lip and shaking his head. "I can't. I don't know how." He said softly. He looked about the same age as the last tape, but his leg was still in good condition, so it must be have been before Gerard broke it._

_"Administer first volts." The doctor said softly._

_Stiles soon tensed and began spasming as he was electrocuted, closing his eyes tightly until it stopped. He panted heavily, shaking his head and gripping the arms of the chair._

_"Try again, Stiles. Move the orange."_

_Stiles stared at the orange and tried to focus. He soon bit his lip and shook his head. "No, I can't."_

_"Upping the voltage."_

_"No, don't." Stiles started before throwing his head back and spasming again. The moment they stopped, he exhaled shakily and whimpered as he closed his eyes tight._

_"Try again, Stiles."_

_Stiles looked up at the two way mirror, a terrified expression on his face. He swallowed hard, nodding and looking at the orange again. He tried to move it with his mind, trying to slow his breathing so he could do his best to focus._

_Nearly a minute passed in silence until he shook his head and looked up to the two way mirror again. "I can't."_

Derek closed his eyes when Stiles let off a choked off scream, listening to him struggle. This was nothing more than torture. He couldn't believe these doctors were getting paid to torment a kid. And for what? He still didn't know what they wanted from Stiles....At the very least, even though he wasn't okay with the emotional bond, he understood why Stiles needed something to hold on to. It took years of torture and psychological torment to almost make him irreparably snap.

_"Stiles, one more time. Move the orange."_

Derek opened his eyes, watching Stiles' body shake, his head lowered as drool trickled out of his mouth.

_"Stiles, move the orange."_

_Stiles murmured softly under his breath, shaking his head._

_"We're going to up the voltage again."_

_Stiles screamed, scratching at the chair as his eyes rolled back. He kept screaming when it shut off, only breaking off in his struggle to breathe._

_"Stiles, move the orange."_

_"I can't!" Stiles screamed at the top of his lungs. As he did, the table flipped off to the side and crashed into the wall. He panted heavily as the sound echoed, trembling as blood trickled down from one of his nostrils._

_"Patient displays power when pushed under physical and emotional stress. He still cannot control it and experiences nosebleeds still. We'll try again tomorrow in other circumstances and see what we find." The doctor noted before the video ended._

"Emotional stress..." Derek whispered, leaning back as he thought about it.

Stiles was able to use his power when Derek was injured. The terror of it pushed Stiles into throwing the truck. Emotional stress was one of the triggers, one of the keys to using and potentially controlling it. He had no plans on going down that route, especially since years of physical and psychological torture couldn't teach Stiles control.

He sighed, not even sure if he wanted to continue watching these therapy sessions. He closed his eyes and tapped on another one.

Hydro therapy involved putting Stiles in a large tub of water and hooking him into some monitors. Derek recalled the time when Stiles got really sick while they were in the hospital, when his hair had been wet and he couldn't stop shivering. This must have been what they were doing to him. He shook his head, going through the tapes and attempting to at least get some answers for Stiles.

Once again, they were attempting another electrotherapy session where the doctors tried to get Stiles to move objects with his mind.

_Stiles stared at the two way mirror with a blank expression and only blinked slowly every now and again._

_"Stiles, move the apple."_

_Stiles glanced down it, staring for a moment before he blinked and stared back up at the mirror. "No."_

_"Administering raised voltages."_

_Stiles clenched his jaw, throwing his head back as his body convulsed._

Derek closed his eyes and kept them shut even after he heard the machine shut off and Stiles' heavy breathing.

_"Stiles, you're going to have to move the apple. These will keep going until you learn control."_

_"No." Stiles finally spoke again._

Derek opened his eyes, staring as Stiles cocked his head before finally looking up to the mirror again.

_"They're going to keep going until you die." Stiles stated as he leaned back, smiling to himself as he continued. "And once you die, they will stop. You're so much of an idiot that you think this will teach me control, but you will die long before I ever gain control of this. And how you die is going to be excruciating until your very last breath."_

Derek felt chills run down his spine at the sound of Stiles' voice. That didn't sound like the Stiles he had gotten to know, he seemed like a completely different person.

As Stiles grinned on screen, the video shut off. Derek swallowed hard and tapped on the final video.

This one started with the recording of another doctor. 

_"Patient 192 made comments last month about how Dr. Morgan would have suffer an excruciating demise. Last night, the prediction came true and Dr. Morgan was involved in a fatal car accident. I brought it up to Stiles, but he seemed to have no recollection of it. Up until now, his intuition has only given him hints about small events, but nothing on this scale. Gerard will be returning to start supervising further tests on the patient, to see what else we can get from him. Gerard believes that this will be very important and can gain very satisfactory results."_

Derek moved on to another collection of files and noticed that as Gerard's tests went on and more injections were put into Stiles' body, he started to fade out. The spark in his eyes that Derek found endearing was nearly gone and his eyes resembled dulled pieces of Amber instead. He talked a lot less on the videos as they progressed and he began to have less of a response to his surroundings. Gerard seemed to have shattered his spirit along with his leg.

_In this next video, Stiles was seated at a table while Gerard sat across from him. Gerard smiled that wide smile that always made Derek want to hit him in the face. "We're starting our work on building our patient centers. In just a few short years, we'll be opening them. Our product is already a success, everyone wants to see recordings of their dreams."_

_Stiles stared blankly at Gerard, drumming his fingertips on the table in gentle taps._

_"That means we'll be closer to finding Derek." Stiles perked up at the name and recognition flashed in his eyes._

_"Derek." He whispered and earned a nod from Gerard._

_"That's correct. We'll find Derek, but only on the condition that you won't break before we do. You have to be nice and ready for when he arrives, do you understand?"_

_Stiles nodded and stopped tapping his fingers. "I need Derek." He whispered, grazing his nails over the desk as he stared down at it._

_"Tell me what you'll do when you get Derek. Something about him makes him special to you."_

_Stiles shook his head slowly as he glanced up to Gerard. "No." He replied in a soft voice, as he sat back again._

_"You know we can get information from you in other, less pleasant ways if we need to."_

_"No." Stiles replied, raising his eyebrows. "If you do, you'll break me. And if you lose me, you'll lose everything."_

Derek turned off the tablet, taking out the video's drive and putting it back in the folder. He sighed, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes.

So far, the only thing he was coming up with was proof of how much torture Stiles had gone through. He picked up another folder dated a few years later, opening it and flipping through the pages. He slowed as he looked over the schematics of the hospital he had been locked in, flipping back over to the notes when he noticed an extra floor he didn't recognize.

_Sixth Floor, high security ward._

_Fifth floor, therapy floor._

_Fourth floor, minimum security ward._

_Third floor, Pediatric ward._

_Second floor, staff floor._

_First floor, lobby and patient admittance/release._

_Basement, solitary ward and testing area for Patient 000-192._

Derek furrowed his brow and stared down the the text. So, that was the reason why he never saw Stiles until several months into his stay. They kept him locked up in the basement until they were ready for him to meet Derek; after they'd already started the creation of the bond.

\----------------------

Upstairs in Stiles and Derek's shared bedroom, Stiles opened his eyes and sighed as he lifted his hand to rub his eyes. Only...his hand didn't move. His whole body felt like lead and he could just feel staticky numbness whenever he attempted to move a limb. Was this sleep paralysis? He looked around the darkened room, trying to figure out what to do. Should he try to drift off asleep again? Will his body start moving again if he gives it time?

Stiles saw movement at the base of the bed and furrowed his eyebrows. "Derek?" He whispered.

"Derek, Derek, Derek...That's all you ever talk about. No wonder everyone thinks you're weak." Stiles tensed when he saw the figure's face. It was like looking back in a mirror.

The other version of himself climbed onto the bed, smiling down at him as he pinned Stiles' arms down at his sides and positioned himself above him. "They're all going to hate you, Stiles. It's just a matter of time." He whispered to him.

"They're not going to hate me." Stiles whispered back, shaking his head.

The other Stiles laughed and shook his head. "You're insane if you believe that...Oh wait, you are just a Guinea pig, I don't how I could have possibly forgotten that."

Stiles blinked slowly, feeling the other version tighten his grip on his wrists.

"They're going to hate you, Stiles, it's just a matter of time until you're back in our little room, alone again. And then you'll just have me."

"I don't want to be alone anymore." Stiles whispered.

He looked up to the other's smiling face, cringing when he let go of one of his wrists to brush his fingers against his cheek. "I know, but you seem to have forgotten, Stiles...You're like a disease... _We're_ a disease. That's why you're going to end up alone again. You think you're saving these people? You're going to lead them to their deaths because you were lonely." Stiles lowered his gaze and swallowed at the knot in his throat.

"They're not going to die." He finally spoke again.

"Aw, you know it's going to be either them or us, and I doubt you would die for these people, would you? You'd die for Derek? Derek is going to hate you someday, sweetheart, and maybe, just maybe, he'll kill you himself, and it won't be indirectly. Someday, it will be his hands around your throat." He whispered, moving one of his hands to rest on Stiles' throat. "Unless you become stronger."

"I want to become stronger. I just want us all to survive." He watched the other Stiles grin.

"Then I'll help you become stronger." Stiles let out a gasp when he tightened his grip around his throat, struggling to get control of his body so he could shove his hands away. No matter how hard he tried, he was stuck lying there, defenseless while he was being strangled. "I'm going to wake you up, Stiles...Wake up!"

Stiles jolted awake at the shout, sitting up and quickly lifting his hands to his throat. He swallowed at the soreness, shaking his head and exhaling shakily. He yelled out when there was a crash beside him, whirling to look and furrowing his eyebrows at the sight of the smashed alarm clock on the end table. He glanced upwards to see if it could have maybe fallen off of a shelf, but there was nothing it could have fallen from. Stiles lifted the alarm clock in his hands and carefully shifted it around, brushing his fingers over the cracked screen. He shook his head, temporarily tossing it to rest a few feet away on the bed.

_"I'm going to wake you up."_

Stiles cringed when the soreness spiked up in his shoulder, lifting his hand to rub the back of it in an attempt to soothe the tender area.

Stiles glanced at the alarm clock and focused on it, trying to shut any other thoughts out. He tensed and shuddered at the faint memory of electrotherapy, clenching his teeth together. He exhaled his pent up breath and raised his hand to card his fingers through his hair. This wasn't a therapy session, he wasn't going to get electrocuted for not doing it on command.

He still remained rigid as he stared at the alarm clock, sighing and closing his eyes as he tried to calm himself. He still felt the same dull sense of dread in the pit of his stomach and the anxiety that at any moment, he could get another shock.

Stiles growled in aggravation and shook his head, tightly gripping a fistful of his hair. "This is fucking ridiculous." He glared at the alarm clock, gritting his teeth together. He wasn't their Guinea pig; he didn't belong to that stupid fucking corporation.

As he felt his aggravation rise, the alarm clock started to shake on the bed before hurtling across the room. "No, no." Stiles whispered quickly, lifting his hand quickly before it could smash into the wall. He tensed when the clock stopped in the air, hanging there for a moment before dropping to the ground again.

Stiles exhaled in relief, giving small smile and feeling a little better. He could do this, he could figure it out, without the electrotherapy. He carefully swung his legs off the side of the bed, going to pick up the alarm clock before putting in his end table for an easy hiding spot.

\----------------------

Lydia found Derek still staring at her tablet, but he was no longer watching the files. He had decided that it was enough for one day, he could only handle so much of seeing Stiles being tortured.

"I was talking to Jordan. He mentioned a nearby lake, it's only about twenty minutes away on foot. I thought it might be good for us all to go check it out and unwind a little. It would definitely be a good way to relieve some tension, and I'm sure Stiles would enjoy it." She shrugged her shoulders as she spoke, leaning against the wall as she watched Derek.

Derek glanced up to her and nodded as he lowered his gaze again. Everything he had just seen only made him want to hold Stiles tightly and keep him happy. "Yeah, he would. He'd just have to be careful with his stitches."

Lydia nodded and glanced at her watch. "We still have a few hours before we have the meeting, do you want to go see if he's awake while I round some of the others up?"

Derek nodded and set Lydia's tablet on top of one of the folders so he could go through more of the information later, when he could handle more. "I'll meet you outside in about fifteen minutes." He stated and left the room to go upstairs.

When Derek opened the door to his bedroom, Stiles was sitting up in bed, reading a book. He glanced up to Derek and smiled as he set it aside. "Hey."

"Hey." Derek replied, heading over to the bed and sitting beside Stiles. He leaned over and kissed him softly, cupping his hand against Stiles' cheek.

Stiles smiled against his mouth and leaned into the kiss, enjoying it for a moment before pulling away. "What's up?"

"Do you think you would be up to going to a lake? Lydia said there's on nearby and that she thought it would be good for you to go."

Stiles perked up at the mention of getting to go do something fun. "Yeah! I wanna go! As long as I don't get my head wet I shouldn't have a problem."

Derek smiled and his eagerness and nodded, glancing at Stiles' eyes and the redness. "I have sunglasses you can wear. That way there won't be too much strain on your eyes." He stood again and walked over to his bag, rummaging through the top pocket until he located his case with his aviators inside. He turned back to face Stiles, heading around to Stiles' side of the bed and placing the sunglasses on Stiles' face for him.

Stiles grinned and raised his eyebrows. "How do I look?"

"Perfect." Derek replied, bending and brushing his lips to Stiles' forehead.

"Perfect, huh?" Stiles asked in a teasing tone as he stood, heading over to his duffle bag so he could look through it.

"Yeah, perfect. You're a good looking guy."

Stiles smiled wider at that. "Thanks. I was always told I looked just like my mom."

Derek thought about the resemblances and nodded. "You definitely look like her. Some of your personality is just like your dad though."

Stiles smiled up at Derek, but Derek noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. He looked lonely. "It's hard to remember them sometimes. I think it's because of everything Eichen did to me, who knows?"

"You'll see them again someday, hopefully someday soon."

Stiles nodded, standing once he had his swim trunks. "I know. We'll both get to go home someday."

 

Once the two of them had changed, they headed downstairs to meet with the rest of the group. Lydia seemed to have convinced most of their group, and part of Parrish's as well. Malia was talking with an Asian girl that Derek didn't recognize. Malia seemed to know her though, so he considered asking later, or he'd probably hear it from Stiles eventually.

"Ready?" Lydia asked, adjusting her bag on her arm. Derek could see the tips of some towels in the bag and Boyd was carrying a cooler while Allison had another bag of towels. It looked like everyone prepared everything they'd need.

"Yeah, we're ready." Stiles said excitedly, motioning for Lydia to lead the way out the door.

Lydia gave a playful roll of her eyes before leading the way out, veering left and heading towards the path between the trees. As she led the group, she explained some of the stuff she had learned from Parrish about their current location.

Apparently the safe house had formerly been a lake resort that had closed down several years before; it explained why everyone had a suite.

"Chris bought the place a few years ago. Once he did, Jordan came in and turned it into a safe house for him." Kira, the new girl, spoke up from where she and Malia were walking behind Stiles and Derek. "Since then, the group has been growing and occasionally moving on to help others like you guys."

"So how do you know Malia?" Stiles asked, looking back to her.

"We were in the same hospital. We escaped together, but she came with Jordan here to help out." Malia replied with a shrug. "And I stayed with Chris and the others to help guard the place."

Stiles nodded at that. "Fair enough." He replied before picking his up his pace until he was beside Lydia.

 

Derek followed the group on the trail, keeping his arms crossed over his chest. Stiles had a bounce in his step as he walked with Lydia, smiling widely at her as he talked excitedly. Lydia smiled and shook her head as they finally made it through the woods and found the lake.

The lake was pristine with clear, glassy blue water and sandy shores with smooth rocks scattered across the ground.

"Holy shit." Stiles breathed in awe, taking a moment to admire it before he grinned and rushed to the water. He kicked his shoes off as he rushed over, laughing and turning to face the others when he was knee deep. "It's so warm, you guys! This is amazing!"

Derek stopped walking beside Lydia, watching while Scott and the others joined Stiles in the water. "This was a really good idea." He noted, seeing how happy Stiles looked as he splashed Scott, laughing when Scott splashed back.

Lydia nodded in agreement. "I thought it would be really good for him to come out here."

"You thought right. He really needed this." Derek didn't take his eyes off Stiles. Stiles finally noticed he was watching and looked over to Derek, grinning wider and waving.

"Come on, you two! Are you just gonna stand there?" He called out to them.

Lydia shook her head, laughing and setting her towel down before heading towards them. Derek followed her to the water, smiling when Stiles rushed towards him and slid his arms around his neck, pressing their lips together for a tender kiss. "Thank you." Stiles whispered once he pulled away and rested their foreheads together.

Derek hummed in content, circling his arms around Stiles' waist. He brushed his fingers over his wet skin, leaning back to place a kiss on the uninjured side of Stiles' forehead. "Just don't get your stitches wet."

Stiles laughed and rolled his eyes. "I won't, don't worry. You should enjoy yourself, the water feels awesome, huh?"

Derek nodded in agreement and lowered his head to press soft kisses down Stiles' throat and shoulder. Stiles let out a soft hum, rubbing Derek's shoulder in slow, gentle movements. "Okay, almost as good as that." Stiles murmured, lifting his hand to brush through Derek's hair.

Derek soon pulled away and gave one last kiss to Stiles' lips. "Go on and have fun, I'll kiss you more later."

Stiles groaned in disappointment but nodded. "Fineeeee. You owe me all the kisses."

Derek rolled his eyes in amusement. "Fine, Stiles, I will give you _all_ the kisses." He said in a dry tone.

"I'll hold you to that." Stiles grinned, splashing him before he sauntered off to play with Scott again, splashing him when Scott was focused on Allison.

Derek shook his head and deeper in the water, diving under once it was up to his ribs. He focused on the calm of the water and resurfaced again, taking a slow breath. This really was a good idea, for all of them. They were almost like normal people again right now.

He glanced back to Stiles, watching his happy expressions and the way he'd lift his hand to hide his mouth when he'd chuckle, or when he'd clap his hands and tilt his head back when he laughed really hard. He wanted to keep Stiles laughing and happy.

Derek closed his eyes and leaned back until he was floating, sighing and enjoying the heat of the sun on his skin. The sounds around him were muffled by the water and it was so peaceful that he could probably fall asleep if he wanted.

"Derek." His eyes shot open at the clear voice.

He quickly stood again and looked around, frowning to himself. What the hell? He looked back at the group before noticing that Stiles was gone. What the fuck? He was just there moments ago. He scanned over the beach but didn't see him there either.

As Derek turned in a small circle to look at the rest of the lake, he felt something brush against his leg and looked down before going rigid.

Under the water, Stiles was there with his eyes closed and the gash on his head was opened and bleeding.

"Stiles!" Derek quickly reached to grab his arms, tried to yank him out of the water. Stiles opened his eyes and watched Derek, opening his mouth before blood started to trickle out into the water.

Derek quickly opened his eyes and inhaled sharply. He was still on his back, floating in the water. He stood again and looked for the rest of the group, making sure that everyone was accounted for, that Stiles was still there. He sighed in relief when he saw Stiles still splashing away in the water and shook his head.

He didn't understand what the hell that was, or why he even had that flash of a...could he even call it a vision? Were these going to start invading his mind when he was conscious now?

He trudged through the water, stopping behind Stiles and sliding his arms around his waist so he could pull him to his chest. Stiles glanced over his shoulder and let out a soft hum as he leaned back against him. "Miss me already?" 

Derek sighed and rested his forehead against his shoulder. "I might have."

Stiles laughed and rubbed Derek's arms. "Good. So, I might have something to show you later...I think you might like it."

"What is it?" Derek asked as he kept his head lowered.

"I think I'm figuring out how to use my power." Derek lifted his head with a confused expression on his face.

"You're figuring it out? How?"

Stiles shrugged a shoulder. "It's hard to explain, but I moved something today. I think if I take baby steps, I can figure it out. Maybe you can still help me."

Derek nodded as he traced Stiles' side, lifting his hand and brushing his fingers against his ribs.

"You seem upset today." Stiles noted, turning in his arms so he could face him and watch his expression.

Derek tilted Stiles' sunglasses upwards, just enough to look into his eyes. Stiles stared back into his eyes, his own honey colored ones filled with concern.

"I watched some of your old therapy sessions today. The electrotherapy ones."

Stiles tensed and lowered his head, biting at his lip.

"You remember those sessions?" Derek asked in a soft voice, raising his hands to rub Stiles' shoulders.

Stiles nodded and let out a sigh. "It's been holding me back, because I guess it's internalized to the point where feel like if I can't do it, I'll get shocked."

Derek nodded and cupped Stiles' face in his hands, leaning forwards and easing their lips together. He brushed his thumb over Stiles' cheek in gentle strokes as he tried to ease some of Stiles' fears. He soon pulled away and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"We won't let that happen to you anymore, I'll help you figure it out so you can do it without any fear. I won't let them electrocute you like that."

Stiles hummed a soft noise, brushing his nose to Derek's. "Thank you." He murmured, sliding his arms around his neck. Derek nodded and rested their foreheads together.

"Do you still feel groggy?"

Stiles shrugged a little and closed his eyes. "A little, but I like being out with everyone. I'll go back to napping once we get back, unless I still feel up to going to the meeting."

"It's up to you. Let me know how you feel when you get back. If you end up sleeping, we'll let you know what went on."

Stiles brushed his fingers over Derek's shoulders and nodded, smiling a bit wider. "Sounds good to me."

Derek gave Stiles one last kiss on the mouth and stepped back, smiling wider once he saw Scott creeping up behind Stiles. Stiles watched him in confusion before his face contorted in surprise and disgust when Scott draped seaweed over Stiles' shoulders. Stiles let out a shrill noise at the slimy and cold feeling, jumping away from Scott. As everyone laughed, he threw the seaweed at Scott's face, laughing at the noise it made made when it hit him.

Derek shook his head as he watched them start a seaweed battle, rolling his eyes playfully as Lydia stood beside Derek again.

"They're such idiots." Lydia laughed, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest.

Derek nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but they're our idiots."

Lydia snorted and nodded, looking up to him. "So the equipment here is a little better than the stuff we had back at the other zone, I think we might be able to work a little more at recording Stiles' dreams for him, while keeping it easy on him."

"As long as Stiles is comfortable and okay with it, I can't really tell you not to...It did help us be prepared for the attack." Derek replied.

"Heads up!" Scott exclaimed.

Derek turned his head towards them, only to be hit in the face with seaweed. Stiles outright laughed, cupping his hands over his mouth and doubling over. Derek twitched, pulling the seaweed off of his face and staring at it in disgust. He cast his gaze upwards to Stiles and watched his expression go from amusement to 'oh shit' in seconds.

"I'm out!" Stiles exclaimed, laughing again as he tried to run through the waist deep water.

Derek took off after him and quickly caught him, locking his arm around his stomach and pinning his arms. Stiles wriggled in his grasp and glanced up to him with a wide smile on his face. "What are you gonna do now, Mr. Hale?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Derek shrugged, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Nothing...Aside from this." He lowered his free hand and began tickling Stiles mercilessly.

Stiles let out a shrill noise in surprise before he started laughing as he struggled to free. "D-Derek!" He exclaimed through his giggles.

Derek smiled at the sound of his laughter, stopping the tickle torture and instead holding Stiles in a loose grip. He pressed a soft kiss to the back of Stiles' good shoulder, closing his eyes. This was perfect, he felt completely at ease and he felt happy.

It was almost like nothing bad had happened before today. Stiles panted as he leaned back against Derek, still grinning as he closed his eyes and let Derek hold him. "This is nice."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Derek murmured against his skin.

Stiles carefully turned to face him and gave Derek's forehead a gentle bump with his own in affection. "I think we'll have to come down here whenever we get a chance."

"I wouldn't mind that." Derek replied, closing his eyes as Stiles brushed his fingers against Derek's scruff. Stiles hummed a response, kissing him tenderly one more time before pulling away and patting his cheek.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a seaweed fight to finish." He winked at Derek, earning an eye roll.

"Just don't hit me again with it, that was disgusting."

"Aye-aye, Capitan." Stiles winked, giving him a salute before heading off to play with Scott again.

The Battle of Seaweed carried on while Derek focused on just enjoying the water with everyone else, until the laughter stopped and Scott began calling Stiles' name.

"Stiles? Hey, you okay?" Derek glanced over and furrowed his eyebrows. Scott was slowly stepped closer to Stiles, while Stiles had a blank expression on his face as he stared off at something away from Scott. "Stiles, you're bleeding."

Stiles lifted a hand, brushing his fingers under his nose and glancing at them once he felt liquid. His expression didn't change as he closed his hand and looked ahead again.

\----------------------

Stiles had been in the process of enjoying the fight with Scott, bending down to grab more seaweed when everything went silent. He frowned and stood up, looking around in confusion. Where did everyone just go? He turned in a slow circle, feeling fear and confusion rise as a knot in his throat as he realized he really was alone.

"They're going to judge you, Stiles." Stiles tensed at the voice and quickly turned around to see the other Stiles grinning at him and raising his eyebrows. "Can you blame them? You're a freak."

"Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?" Stiles asked, shooting a scowl at him.

The other laughed as he stepped closer, cocking his head and shrugging. "I want what's best for you, of course."

Stiles let out a humorless laugh. "How could you possibly want what's best for me? What the fuck do you think the 'best' for me even is?"

He watched as the opposite Stiles smiled widely at him, brushing his fingers against his jaw. "I'm part of what's best for you. You just have to trust me."

Stiles shook his head quickly at that. "You're not what's best for me. You said I'm a disease. That 'we're' a disease."

"Oh but we are, Stiles, but you're weak without me. You're even bleeding right now."

Stiles raised his hand to his face and tensed when he felt and saw the blood. "What's happening to me?"

"You're weak." The mirrored version of himself reiterated, shrugging and stepping back. "You're going to continue being weak and a freak, unless you let me help you."

Stiles shook his head and pushed at him. "Stop it. I don't want your help. You're the reason I'm a freak."

The other Stiles growled, his demeanor filling with rage. "You're going to let me in!" He shouted, quickly reaching and grabbing Stiles' throat.

\----------------------

Scott waved his hand in front of Stiles' face after Stiles closed his hand, trying his best to get his attention. "Hey, Stiles, come on, look at me." The second he tapped his hand against Stiles' cheek, Stiles lunged forwards and sank his teeth in Scott's shoulder.

Scott yelled out in pain and tried pushing at Stiles. "Stiles!" He shouted as Derek rushed over.

Derek saw a glimpse of his shoulder and his eyes widened when he noticed something. The bruise on the back of his shoulder was spreading. It was going up the back of his neck and across his shoulder. This was bad, so fucking bad.

Stiles let go of Scott and stepped back, his eyes still unfocused as blood dripped from his nose and chin. Scott covered the bloody bite, hissing in pain as he looked to Stiles in confusion.

Stiles quickly raised his hand to his throat and began to wheeze and cough as he closed his eyes tightly. Derek thought that he was maybe choking before he realized that Stiles was gripping his own throat tightly and choking himself. "Stiles!" Derek shouted, gripping Stiles' hand away as he saw him starting to dig his nails in. He managed to get Stiles to let go of himself, but only after he broke the skin and scratched himself. Derek gripped his upper arms tightly. "Stiles!" He shouted again as loud as he could.

Stiles jolted in Derek's grip and gasped before he quickly looked around with a terrified expression. "W-Wha? Derek? What's going on?" He asked in confusion, looking to Scoot before he noticed the blood seeping through Scott's fingers. "What...? Oh no...What did I do? What did I do?" He asked, starting to shake in Derek's hold.

"We need to get you back to the house, get you looked at..." Derek's train of thought trailed off as he stared at Stiles in shock.

The blood steadily dripping from Stiles' nose was turning black. Stiles looked up to Derek and furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed the change in his expression. "Derek...? What's...?"

_"You're a disease, Stiles."_

Stiles cringed and wiped his nose before he saw the black smeared across the back of his hand. Stiles opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by a shooting pain rocketing through his skull. He quickly raised his hands to his ears, doubling over as the liquid and blood continued to trickle from his nose, swirling in the water and turning it into a medley of black and red. As the pain continued to increase, he started screaming.

Derek quickly lifted Stiles, tucking one of his arms under his knees and turning back to the shore. He rushed to the beach, fully intent of running the entire way to the house.

"Derek!" Lydia shouted and Derek turned his head before realizing why she was yelling. A large boulder several yards away on the sand lifted from the ground and started hovering in the air. It quickly smashed down against the sand before lifting again.

"Stiles, you need to stop it! Whatever is happening, you need to control it!" He said quickly, trying to get Stiles' attention as the other writhed in his arms and screamed.

Derek tightened his grip when Stiles started to convulse. Before Derek could set him down, Stiles let out a choking noise before gagging and throwing the black liquid up on himself and Derek. 

Stiles panted heavily once he was able to breathe again before his eyes rolled back and his head dropped backwards as he went limp in Derek's arms. The boulder quickly dropped a final time and didn't lift again. "Stiles, Stiles." Derek whispered, shaking him a little in his hold. Through the black mess, he could see Stiles' chest rise and fall. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes tightly for a moment before he began running down the path again.

As he ran, he noticed Stiles' breathing began to change. At first his breaths were slow and deep, but as he continued on the trail, they quickly began to pick up in pace and became more shallow.

Lydia kept up with Derek the whole way to the house, opening the door for him and leading him down the hallway to the infirmary. When she threw open the door, there was already a man inside the large room.

"Deaton, something happened and he just started bleeding and this black stuff started coming out." Lydia said quickly as the man known as Deaton stepped closer to get a better look. "This is..." She started, but Deaton cut her off.

"Stiles...Set him on the table, I know how to help him." Derek frowned as he slowly set Stiles down, but didn't move away from him.

"How do you know him?" He asked in an accusing tone. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with any bullshit.

"He was one of my patients. I was one of the doctors at Eichen before it opened." Derek growled and gripped the edges of the table.

"Did you do this to him?" He asked through clenched teeth as rage quickly coursed throughout his body.

Deaton shook his head, paying no mind to Derek's anger as he put together an IV for Stiles. "Lydia, get him on oxygen. He'll need it for a while."

"Answer me!" Derek shouted, his voice booming through the room.

Deaton didn't jump at the volume like Lydia did, but he finally looked at Derek. "Do you want me to help him or not?"

"Answer my question." Derek shot back.

Deaton sighed but kept his cool composure. "I did not create what's in his system. None of us knew what effects it would even have. I worked with Chris Argent's brother until I was transferred. If you'll allow me to treat Stiles, I can explain some things to you afterwards."

Derek swallowed hard in an attempt to lessen his anger and finally took a step back so Lydia and Deaton could work. Deaton got the IV in after Lydia got an oxygen mask on Stiles, and as the medication started to work its way through his veins, his breathing began to normalize again.

Derek sighed out a pent out breath, relaxing his jaw as it started to cramp up from clenching it.

"He'll be okay, he just needs to relax and let everything run its course through his system." Derek hated that Deaton could still maintain a calm and collected voice through all of this. It was irritating to say the least.

"You owe me answers." Derek stated, staring pointedly at him.

Deaton nodded and took a seat, before motioning with his hand. "Ask away."

"You were a doctor with Eichen?"

"Correct. I was a part of the team taking care of the children with Night Terrors. We thought that we were working for a treatment plan, while testing out the product we created that records the dreams."

"You were poisoning children." Derek snarled at him.

Deaton was unfazed by the accusation. "Gerard and the higher doctors led us to believe that we were using a medication that could cure them from any ailments. They mentioned there could potentially be side effects, but we were told that they would be minuscule."

"Does this look minuscule to you?!" Derek shouted as he motioned harshly towards Stiles.

"Derek!" Lydia snapped. "I understand you're angry and you have every right to be, but reign it in. You want answers? Listen to him."

Derek shot Lydia a scowl before focusing on Deaton again.

"The dosages started out small, but as we continued, the formula they were using started to change. As it continued, less children were able to handle it. Only three children got the higher dosages of the new liquid, and Stiles was one of them."

"What about the other children?" Lydia asked in a soft voice.

"They couldn't handle it. It has a violent effect on the mind and body, especially if it fully rejects. So Gerard branched off and used it to his advantage on the children that it didn't kill. That's how he started creating the Feral ones. Those patients that attacked the other safe house, Gerard has found a way to turn high security patients into personal attack dogs."

"And no one on the outside notices because they're permanent residents anyways." Derek stated.

Deaton nodded. "Exactly. Gerard's new way to create a surplus of them is by slowly drugging the patients until they no longer feel anything on their own. I've had the chance to examine one of the Feral Ones and it seems that Gerard implants them so he can switch them on and off at will. Usually he commands them and they follow every order, but on occasion he lets them just attack each other to see how far they will go."

Derek drummed his fingers on his arm before realization struck. "The Blanks...He turns them into Feral Ones whenever he wants..." Derek thought about the chaos on the sixth floor when he and the others escaped; the way that all of the Blanks went violent at once and attacked anything in sight. "He wanted us to escape, didn't he?"

Deaton sighed and looked to Stiles. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's simply testing Stiles. Stiles was always his favorite. Maybe he believes Stiles will come back to him, or he'll just hunt you all down until he gets him back."

Derek shook his head as he resisted the urge to punch and break things. "He's _never_ going to get those filthy hands on Stiles again. If he wants Stiles back, he'll have to kill me first." He growled.


	15. Chapter 15

"I have something for you, but I'm not sure you'd like it." Deaton spoke, rinsing a cloth in the sink and turning to face Derek and Stiles. He began carefully cleaning Stiles' chest before lifting and adjusting the mask on his face so he could wipe it off for him.

"I don't like any of this." Derek pointed out with a frown.

"It's some of the videos of when the serum was first introduced to Stiles and some of the beginnings of the after effects." Deaton continued, ignoring Derek's statement.

"Was it anything like this?" Derek asked, motioning to Stiles. He hated that more stress had to be put on Stiles' body when he was already in the process of recovering.

Deaton glanced to Stiles before looking back to Derek. "Worse, actually. We had to keep a close eye on him so we could keep his fever down. The alpha team generally kept us in the dark when it came to injections, but I managed to get the footage of some of his first injections."

"So you _weren't_ actually injecting him with this black shit?" Derek asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No. Dr. Morgan's team helped design the serum and began introducing it into the children. They were nothing more than lab rats to them, while those of us on Cain Argent's team took care of them and treated them as best as they could."

"Who was on Dr. Morgan's team? I want names. I know he's the sick bastard that used electrotherapy on Stiles, but he wasn't the only one that tortured him."

Deaton tossed the black covered cloths in the sink, leaning against it as he thought about it. "I know that he and Dr. Argent were in charge."

Derek frowned at that. "I thought you just said that you were on Cain Argent's team."

Deaton furrowed his eyebrows at that. "I was. I was referring to Kate. Kate Argent."

Derek's entire body went rigid as he felt chills run down his spine. He felt like he had been struck in the face. "Kate...Argent?"

"That's correct. She's Cain and Chris' sister."

Derek turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, shoving people out of his way as he hunted Chris down. He finally found him in the study and was semi-thankful that it wasn't the armory. He didn't know how far his rage could take him right now.

Before Chris could ask what was going on, Derek grabbed him by his jacket and glowered at him as he clenched his jaw. "She's your sister?" He growled.

Chris eyes widened a little in realization before he sighed and nodded. "That's right."

The fact that he admitted it made Derek feel even angrier. "And you didn't fucking tell me, _why?_ " He asked through clenched teeth.

"When do you think I should have told you? When you went into panic and nearly shut down when you saw her face on the screen in the archive? When she burned down the safe house?" Chris shot back and sighed. "I wasn't trying to hide it from you, Derek. My sister is just like my father, cruel and manipulative, and I'm truly sorry she used you."

Derek grit his teeth together as he felt his anger starting to subside. Chris did have a point, as annoying as it was. "You haven't provided any information to them, have you?"

Now it was Chris' turn to get frustrated. "Are you kidding me, Derek? You honestly believe that I would put my entire team and everything we've worked for at risk just to trap you?"

"I don't care about what happens to me!" Derek shouted, throwing his arm back to point out the door. "What I care about is that Stiles could have died because of Kate, and there's nothing I could have done to stop it and help him. He was vomiting black stuff all over himself _and_ me! I thought he was going to fucking die if I didn't get him here fast enough! His blood is literally all over my hands, and I'm afraid I can't help him!" Derek tightened his jaw as he broke down, sighing and balling his hands into fists. "Every day, I'm terrified that either they're going to take him, or he's going to get killed. That everything we're trying to do is for nothing and we die without changing anything." He dropped down on one of the arm chairs, sighing and putting his head in his hands.

Chris sighed too and sat across from Derek. "At the meeting, we'll be talking about some of our ideas and how to go about turning them into full plans."

Derek nodded but didn't lower his hands as he bounced his leg in agitation. "Then we need to start the meeting." He stated.

Chris nodded and stood again. Derek listened to his footsteps until they faded away and sighed as he sat back. He looked at the dark liquid that was still on his hands and chest and closed his eyes.

\----------------------

After Derek got cleaned up and changed, he stayed in the background while Chris and Parrish set the meeting up. He was leaned back against the wall and kept his arms folded across his chest.

Chris waited for everyone to be inside the room and quiet before he started the meeting. "Parrish and I have been pooling our resources together and we've been discussing the next steps we need to take." Chris paused to grab several folders out of case before he set them down on the table. "There are several different higher ups in different departments that we've been looking at, and we've been looking into which ones we can use to our advantage." He taped on the tablet on the table until a file projected on the wall behind him.

"Our current target is Head of Relations and Internal Affairs, Peter Hale." Derek tensed at the name and looked up at the file. Yeah, that was definitely him.

He felt all eyes on him and shifted in discomfort. "He's my uncle, but we haven't really talked much in the last few years."

Chris nodded and looked back down at the tablet. "If we get close to him or convince him to help, he can give us information and access to key cards so we can get in and out of the bigger buildings. If we can take those down, we're taking out the heart of the Eichen." He paused to swipe his fingers against the screen to make a photograph of a nightclub come up. "Word is that Peter frequents this club every Friday evening. Since it's Sunday, we still have a few days to solidify our plans of how to get him entirely on our side. He's been helpful in the past, but it's generally when it suits his own needs."

"I'll talk to him." Derek spoke up, stepping away from the wall. "He won't do it just because I'm family, but it might suit his interest more if I'm involved and he sees it."

Chris nodded in agreement. "I think we should do several teams in pairs. Besides you, Derek. You'll meet him one on one."

"I'm fine with that." Derek replied with a shrug. "You can figure out the teams and locations and I'll check back with you. I want to check on Stiles."

"Before you do that, Derek, there was that thing I mentioned, the file I wanted to show you." Deaton piped up, taking it out of his jacket pocket as he stood.

Derek sighed, not sure if he wanted to see it at all today.

"It would actually be best if you saw it now." Deaton replied as some of the others cleared the room.

"I want to see it." Scott spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. Thankfully the bite Stiles left on his collar wasn't deep enough to need stitches. Derek knew Stiles would still be upset, but he figured it might be easier on him since it wasn't as bad as it had looked.

"Fine. Show us." Derek replied reluctantly, taking a seat as Deaton set the file up. He soon started the first of the videos and took a step back so the others could watch.

 _"The date is April 15th. After months of planning, we're finally ready to introduce the HADES serum into the subjects. We're going one by one with the children to see how they respond to it. The preparations and practice runs with the lesser formula has yielded some satisfactory results, so we're looking forwards to what results this one will bring."_ Derek recognized the voice of the Doctor that 'treated' Stiles with electrotherapy.

_The video cut to Stiles strapped down to a table, his left arm stretched straight out while the doctors worked around him. Stiles watched them as best as he could, opening and closing his hand. There was currently an IV hooked into his arm, but so far it seemed to just be normal medicine trickling into his veins._

_When one of the doctors grabbed another syringe, Derek instantly noticed the black liquid filling it._

_"Alright, Stiles, this may hurt a little, but you're going to have to bear with us." She told him, trying to soothe him a little. Stiles nodded and took a deep breath as she slowly introduced the serum into the port on the cord. She tossed the needle aside and took a step back so she could wait for it to take effect._

_Stiles shifted as best as he could on the table and tried to keep his breathing even. After a few minutes, Derek could finally see inky black lines start to course up Stiles' wrist and arm from the point of entry._

_Stiles soon screamed out, arching against the binds and kicking his legs. As it continued through him, his screams raised in volume in pitch as he struggled with all his might. When the black in his veins started to fade, Stiles dropped his head back on the table and passed out._

_"Patient's reaction to this serum is higher pain levels and stress than we've previously seen. We'll check back again soon and see how his body handles the higher concentration." The doctor piped up before tapping at the computer until the video ended._

_The next video started up and Stiles was curled up on a bed in a medical room. The time stamp on the corner noted that it was just a little over two weeks later._

_"For the past three days, Patient 000-192 has been in quarantine and away from the other children. Most of them have developed small rashes from the new serum, but Stiles has a higher fever than them and so to prevent any further illness in him, we're going to keep him isolated until his fever stabilizes. He's mostly been unconscious since the fever hit but we're keeping a doctor on hand at all times in case anything happens." The doctor spoke before ending the video._

_The following one was with Stiles back on the table, strapped down and readied for another injection. Derek glanced at the date in the corner. Early August._

_When a doctor brought over the syringe, Stiles squirmed on the table and bit his lip._

_"It's okay, Stiles. You've done this dozens of times already. It'll be over before you know it." The doctor stated in a collected voice._

_"No, don't, please. I don't want it." Stiles begged, trying his best to get his arm away in a desperate attempt._

Derek closed his eyes as he dug his nails into the palms of his hands when he tightened his fists. He kept them closed when Stiles began screaming again and finally rose to his feet. He couldn't take any more of this right now.

As Derek opened his eyes, he saw the equipment on top of the tables in the video go flying across the room.

_"No!" Stiles screamed harder, writhing in pain as the doctor watched in stunned silence._

_He quickly tried to leave the room, but one of the wheeled tables rocketed across the room and slammed into the door before ramming back into the doctor._

_Stiles panted heavily as the table slowed to a stop, closing his eyes and whimpering before he passed out._

Deaton stopped the video and turned off the tablet after disconnecting his drive. "That was the first time Stiles ever used his power. Whenever the serum fades in Stiles, they seem to up the dosage to see if it would make his powers stronger, or if it will give him any other ones as well."

Derek shook his head in disgust. "If I run into any of these people, I'm going to make them regret the things they've done to him and anyone else they've ever harmed." He hissed before taking his leave.

He wanted to check on Stiles and make sure that he was okay. He figured he would still probably be unconscious, but it would help Derek feel a little better at least if he saw for himself that he was still still okay.

When Derek stepped into the infirmary, he stopped in his tracks and felt his heart start to beat faster. Where was Stiles? Even the stand that held the IV and oxygen was gone.

Derek quickly backed out of the room and began searching the downstairs of the house to see if Stiles was nearby. Was he sleepwalking again?

He turned down the hall and sighed when he saw Stiles standing at the end of the hall with Malia wrapping a blanket around his shoulders.

"Is that better?" He heard her ask as he walked closer to the two of them.

Stiles nodded and closed his eyes before dropping his head on her shoulder in exhaustion. Malia shook her head and looked back to Derek. "Mind giving me a hand?"

Derek nodded and headed over, sliding his arm around Stiles' shoulders. "Come on, let's get you upstairs and in bed."

Stiles nodded slowly and leaned against Derek, keeping his eyes closed. Derek sighed through his nose and pat his shoulder before leading him to their bedroom. He helped Stiles take the stairs slowly, carrying his stand for him so Stiles didn't get tugged or tangled.

Once they were upstairs and in the bedroom, Derek carefully helped Stiles into his pajama pants and under the covers before climbing into bed with him.

"I'm cold." Stiles finally whispered, opening his eyes and glancing over to Derek.

Derek nodded and shifted closer so he could carefully roll Stiles onto his side and pull him so his back was against his chest. "It's probably because of the infirmary. I'll try to warm you up, so you just worry about getting more sleep."

Stiles hummed softly and made himself more comfortable. "What happened?" He whispered.

Derek stayed silent as he rubbed Stiles' side. He didn't know how to explain it. He finally sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I think it's from what Kate injected you with. You had a reaction to it, but I think it's all gone now."

Stiles nodded and brushed his fingers against Derek's arm in gentle touches. "I'm so tired."

"That's okay, get all the sleep you need. I'll stay with you."

Stiles' fingers slowed to a stop before he exhaled shakily and closed his eyes tighter. "I hurt Scott, didn't I?"

"You didn't know."

"I still did it." Stiles whispered. "I don't want to be like this anymore."

Derek nodded and kissed the back of Stiles' shoulder. "I know. We'll figure this out, and I'll help you through it all."

"Why?" Stiles asked, turning to look at Derek. Derek felt the urge to protect him bubble up in his chest at the sight at the amount of pain and sorrow in Stiles' eyes. Even his other eye was reddened and bloody from the exertion from earlier. So that's what caused it all when they were in the hospital...

"Because I care about you, Stiles. I care about what happens to you, and I care about how you feel."

Stiles searched Derek's eyes for a moment before nodding and brushing their lips together. Derek tightened his grip as he kissed Stiles back, following Stiles' lead as the other pressed more into the kiss and turned a little more in his hold to kiss him easier.

Once Stiles slid his tongue out to brush against Derek's lip, Derek brushed his out to slip inside of Stiles' mouth. Stiles let out a soft hum in content as he ran his tongue along Derek's. He soon pulled away and gave Derek a small smile before it faded. Derek felt pained at how vulnerable Stiles looked.

"Derek, I..." He hesitated and sighed and he closed his eyes.

Derek didn't rush him and kept quiet until Stiles was ready to speak again. "I...I think I love you."

Derek stared at Stiles, stunned by his admission. He bit at his lip, thinking about the last person he had loved. Stiles' eyes widened a little in realization.

"Shit, sorry, I...You don't have to say anything, I mean, _I_ shouldn't have said anything. I just...I've been feeling it and it just sort of came out and I..." Stiles rambled in nervousness, lifting his hands to hide his face as he sighed out.

Derek took Stiles' hands and carefully pulled them away, leaning forwards to kiss him hard. Stiles gripped at Derek's shirt in desperation as he kissed him back. Derek soon pulled away and stared into his eyes. "Listen, I don't know if I can say it back right now, but...Yeah, it's okay." He whispered, brushing his thumb over Stiles' bottom lip.

Stiles nodded and slid his arms around Derek's shoulders as best as he could to pull him closer. He sighed and closed his eyes as they rested their foreheads together. "Thank you." He whispered, brushing his fingers over Derek's back.

Derek nodded and pulled away to look Stiles' face over. He was still pale and looked exhausted, but overall looked happier and relieved. Derek ducked his head to brush his nose against Stiles' neck before he began to kiss and bite at his skin. He felt Stiles' pulse throb beneath the graze of his teeth and tongue, urging him to bite harder to leave his marks across his skin.

Stiles gasped out and closed his eyes, gripping at Derek's shirt as he let out a soft curse. That egged Derek on to brushing kisses down his shoulder and leaving a small trail of marks behind.

He mapped out the scattered speckling of the moles across Stiles' skin, drawing out constellations with his tongue and teeth until he was circling his tongue along one of his nipples after biting at the mole just above it. Stiles tangled his fingers in Derek's hair, shifting his hips and biting at his lip. Derek listened to the quickness in his breathing, the heaviness of his exhales. He glanced up to Stiles' face and smirked at the redness flushing Stiles' face and neck.

Stiles gave a roll of his eyes at the smirk. "Don't you start puffing your chest at me like that. Of course you're turning me on." He mumbled, brushing the back of his fingers against Derek's jaw. He turned his hand and ran his fingers down Derek's neck and slipped them down the back of his shirt.

"Do you want to continue making out?" Derek asked, pressing a light kiss over Stiles' sternum.

"This is making out? I figured this would be considered foreplay or something." Stiles snorted with a raise of his eyebrows.

Derek smirked against Stiles' skin and shrugged. "It could be both." He replied with a shrug before he sat back so he could look over Stiles' face.

He checked his eyes before shifting Stiles' bandages so he could check his stitches too. Looked like they were already starting to heal.

He glanced back down to Stiles' face and gave him a brief kiss. "I'll give you whatever you want soon, alright?"

Stiles nodded and closed his eyes. "Can I have a nap for now? I'm still really tired. Also sexually frustrated."

Derek chuckled and moved off of Stiles so he could roll onto his side and trace his side. "I'm sorry for that."

"I'm not." Stiles smiled, placing his hand on Derek's. "I like the attention, and the way it feels when you mark me."

"I'm glad for that."

Stiles hummed out a soft noise and slid his fingers between Derek's. Derek rested his head on his pillow and closed his eyes as he listened to Stiles' breathing. As it started to even and slow, he figured Stiles had fallen asleep.

"What was I like when I bit Scott?" Stiles finally whispered.

Derek sighed through his nose. "It was like you were in a dazed state again. You stood there and it's like you're in a whole other world. It's hard to figure out what to do, because you were bleeding, but you lash out when you're touched."

Stiles sighed and tightened his grip on Derek's hand. "Maybe I shouldn't have left the hospital."

"That's bullshit and you know it, Stiles. You deserve to be on the outside more than any of us." Derek stated in annoyance.

Stiles glared over at him. "That might have been true before they turned me into this...this _thing_ , Derek. I'm a fucking freak. I go into these states and I hurt people when I'm in them. I can sometimes move shit with my mind, and I sense horrible, horrible things! They tortured me every single day and turned me into a monster!" Stiles snapped at him, pushing away from Derek and getting to his feet.

"You're not a monster, Stiles," Derek started, but Stiles didn't want to hear it.

"I'm a fucking monster! I'm a disease, Derek! I ruin everything I touch, and you should have left me to die in that fucking hospital!"

Derek rose to his feet and balled his hands into fists. "You're the reason that we even got out! You helped us plan, you brought us together, you put it together, you got us out! You wanted out, Stiles! You don't want to go back!"

Stiles shook his head. "I don't know what I want anymore! I do want to be free, but I'm dangerous, Derek! I hurt people! What if I end up killing one of my friends? What...What if I end up killing you?" His voice cracked as he spoke and he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as they welled up with tears.

Derek felt his anger subside as he circled around the bed and took Stiles in his arms. He felt Stiles' body shake as he held him, felt the sobs wrack through him as Stiles finally let them out. Derek stayed silent in favor of rubbing Stiles' back and tried to comfort him with his touch.

When Stiles' knees began to shake, Derek carefully sat down and pulled Stiles onto his lap. Stiles locked his arms around Derek's shoulders and buried his face in Derek's neck. Derek closed his eyes as he rested his head against Stiles' and began to rock him side to side in gentle motions.

Derek filled the quiet with soft humming, doing everything he could to help comfort Stiles. "I know you're scared, it's okay to be scared. I can't promise you that I won't get hurt, but I'll always do everything I can to come back to you. I don't want to leave you alone in the world. You're scared of being alone again, aren't you?"

Derek sighed when Stiles didn't answer. "I won't leave you alone in this world, Stiles. You're always smiling and trying to be strong for everyone, but deep down, you're filled with so much pain. You hold it in because you don't want to worry us.I just want you to know, it's okay to let it out, Stiles. Everyone here is here to help you, and I'll be here every step of the way with you. Just don't give up on me, Stiles, okay?"

Stiles only nodded and tightened his grip on Derek. His sobs had been reduced to sniffles, so he sat there wordlessly as Derek rocked him again.

Derek closed his eyes and listened as Stiles' breathing started to calm down again.

"What was the meeting about?" Stiles finally whispered after a while, sounding half-asleep.

"We're going to a night club soon to talk to an Eichen higher up and see if we can get him to help us."

"How hard do you think that's going to be?"

Derek sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. The man we're seeing, he's actually my uncle."

Stiles sat back and searched Derek's expression. "Are you okay?"

Derek shrugged and let out another sigh. "I don't know how helpful he'll be. He'll probably want something in return, but I have no clue what it would be."

Stiles nodded and bumped his forehead to Derek. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. And I want to go with you. I'll be some good moral support, if nothing else."

Derek gave him a small smile and rubbed his side. "It could be dangerous."

"I like danger." Stiles smiled back at him.

"Are you sure you don't want to go just so you can go to a nightclub?" Derek teased.

He smiled wider as Stiles' smile grew. "That just sweetens the deal. So yeah, I may or may not be more than a little excited to get to go. Maybe after the meeting we can actually enjoy the nightclub." Stiles replied in an excitable tone.

Derek shook his head and kissed Stiles' cheek. "We'll see what we can do." He murmured, brushing his fingers over his jaw.

"Maybe I can have a drink or two." Derek raised an eyebrow at that. Stiles shrugged defensively. "I've never had alcohol before." He pointed out.

Derek nodded and lowered his hands to rest on Stiles' hips. "Maybe I'll make you a few drinks if you don't have any there. Although, we do have to get you a fake ID prepared, since you're nineteen."

Stiles smiled widely and wiggled his eyebrows. "What can I say? Im a rule breaker, but that's why you like me so much, huh?"

Derek rolled his eyes and leaned forwards to blow raspberries against Stiles' neck. Stiles laughed and pushed at Derek's face. "That tickles!"

"That's the point." Derek smiled as he sat back, raising his hands to brush his fingers through Stiles' hair.

Stiles rolled his eyes and let Derek play with his hair. "You're lucky I like you."

"Yeah, I am. You're a really good guy, despite everything. You're not letting your past define you."

Stiles' smile faded at Derek's words. He glanced away from him and sighed, carefully climbing off his lap and dropping back onto the bed.

"Stiles?" Derek asked, rising to his feet so he could get a look at him. Stiles just pulled the blankets over his head and didn't answer.

"Stiles, talk to me. Are you okay?"

"I just want to get some sleep now." Stiles replied, making no move to come out of hiding.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Derek asked and got a shrug from Stiles in response.

Stiles thought about it for a moment and sighed. "Yeah. I want you to stay." He whispered.

Derek nodded and headed around the bed so he could get under the covers and gently pull Stiles to his chest. Stiles hesitated for a moment before he tucked his head under Derek's chin and relaxed in his hold. Derek smiled a little and rubbed his back gently.

\----------------------

The following days were filled with planning and preparation for the night club's infiltration. Each person had their own roles to play in the club.

It was decided that there would be a team on each side of the floor that would watch for any sign of anything going wrong. Malia and Kira on one side; Erica, Boyd, and Isaac on another. Scott and Stiles would be in the center of the dance floor, and Derek would head back to the upper lounge to talk to his uncle. Allison and Braeden would both be up there as well, just in case.

Derek glanced over the layout of the nightclub again, nodding to himself in approval. He still wasn't quite sure about Stiles going, but Stiles was very adamant about it. He had grown tired of being in the background.

Derek adjusted the pieces with each person's names on the board, double checking the locations of each and every exit for if they had to make a swift escape.

As he looked the map over, Braeden entered the study, tapping some cards in her hand. "I have something for you." She spoke, hopping up on to sit on the cleared part of the table. "One is for your boy toy, one is for you."

In her hand were fake IDs. Derek took them and looked them over, nodding in approval. "These will work great, thanks."

"No problem, they weren't hard to make. Your room is also reserved so you can lay low in town for the night."

"Alright. Anything else?"

Braeden crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips together in thought. Derek quirked an eyebrow at the look, knowing that judging by the furrow in her brow, she had been deeply contemplating something. "What's on your mind?"

"I don't think you're going to like it. I trust your judgement, of course, but are you sure about taking him to the club?"

Derek shrugged and pocketed the IDs. "I figure even if some Eichen guards manage to show up, it should be okay."

"I'm not talking about the guards, Derek. I'm talking about the kid himself. How do you know something isn't gonna go wrong with him? I hate to say it, Derek, but he can be dangerous." Braeden stated, watching Derek frown as she continued. "I get that it's not intentional and that these have all been accidents, but if something goes wrong at the club, it could lead to a disaster with him."

"So, are you saying we should keep him holed up and never give him a chance?" Derek asked in aggravation. "I understand where you're coming from, but I think he can handle this. I want him there."

Braeden sighed and stood again. "You're in charge, I was just giving my thoughts."

"I know, and it's okay to be concerned." Derek replied, resting his hands on the table and staring at the map. "If he learns to handle more of these situations, it's less likely that he'll be triggered into lashing out."

"I guess you're right, well I have to go start packing and finishing preparations. Let me know if you need anything else."

"I will. Thanks again for all of the help you've given us. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You wouldn't last long without me. I'll always be here to have your back." Braeden smirked, raising her eyebrows a little.

"Yeah, I know. I would be lost without you." Derek replied, smiling back at her. Braeden nodded and pat his shoulder before heading out. 

"He's all yours." Derek furrowed an eyebrow at the last statement, turning to see Stiles standing in the doorway once Braeden passed through.

"Hey." Stiles piped up, giving him a small smile as he entered the room. Derek waited for him to get close enough before taking him in his arms and kissing his jaw.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, rubbing Stiles' back with slow and gentle touches.

"Everything checked out okay. I'm no longer concussed and I'm healing really well." Derek nodded and leaned back so he could check him out. Stiles' eyes lit up in amusement at Derek's worrying. "So, you got a medical degree while I was napping?" He teased.

Derek rolled his eyes and flicked the tip of his nose. "You know I worry about you." 

Stiles rubbed his nose and nodded. "So how's it going in here? Are you ready?"

Derek shrugged. "The planning is solid, we just need to finish getting prepared and then we'll head out so we can arrive tomorrow." Stiles circled around the table, staring at the pieces on the board and the layout of the map. 

"If anything goes wrong, just about all of us have a clear exit we can get to." Stiles traced his fingers along the map and glanced up to Derek. "You'd have the hardest time, but I know you can manage it. Judging by our relationship, you like a challenge." He joked.

Derek rolled his eyes playfully. "You're only a challenge sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" Stiles asked in mock surprise, lifting his hand to rest on his chest. "I'll have to try harder then, I mean, if I don't keep you on your toes, who will?"

"I think for now, I'm good with just handling you." Derek stated, getting the fake IDs out of his pocket and glancing at the pictures before holding Stiles' out. "Here's your fake ID, Braeden made really good ones for everyone."

Stiles nodded and took it from Derek so he could look it over. "Stuart Sanders, I like it." He murmured, glancing up at Derek. "What's your alias of choice?"

"Deven Hart." Stiles nodded in approval and looked back down at it.

"It's kind of funny in a way that two ex-cops are making fake IDs."

Derek shrugged and grabbed his notepad so he could finish his list of things they'd need. "Braeden has always been very resourceful."

Stiles nodded slowly. "I don't think she likes me much." 

Derek stilled the pencil and looked up to Stiles. "Has she said anything to you?"

"I heard you guys talking, but I get it. I'm a liability." 

Derek set the pencil down and reached over, placing his hand on the back of Stiles' neck and pulling him in for a hard kiss. He held it for a long moment before pulling away and taking Stiles' chin between his fingers. "Don't say that again. You're not a liability, Stiles."

Stiles looked a little dazed from the kiss before he sighed and rolled his eyes. "I am a liability. She's right, something goes wrong, I could really hurt someone and that blood would be on my hands."

"So, you're going to psych yourself out of this mission and stay here? You're the one that keeps saying you want to be a part of things." Derek pointed out.

Stiles sighed and scratched at his neck. "I did, I mean, I do. It's just...I get nervous about it I guess, about everything that could go wrong."

Derek moved around the table and placed his hands on Stiles' hips, tugging him close. "It's okay to be nervous, Stiles, but I know you can do this. We'll all work together and make sure that nothing goes wrong, but if something does end up going wrong? We'll figure it out and get through it together."

Stiles nodded and slid his arms around Derek's neck, snorting and shaking his head. "Ugh, God, I might be spending too much time with you. I'm becoming a total downer lately." He joked.

"Oh, ha-ha." Derek replied, sliding his hands up and tickling Stiles' sides. Stiles laughed out and pushed at Derek's hands, squirming away from him.

"Nope! I'm escaping before that escalates!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around himself protectively.

Derek raised his eyebrows, standing still for a moment before quickly lifting his hands and stepping closer to threaten Stiles. Stiles yelped and quickly jumped away. "Hell no!" Stiles exclaimed, rushing around the table and out the door.

Derek shook his head, smiling and chuckling to himself. "Ridiculous." He murmured, picking up his notepad again to finish his list.

\----------------------

After preparations were finalized, packing and leaving for the city came next. The group was all ready to go in the early afternoon and made it to the city limits by nightfall. Derek let out a soft sigh at the lights of the distant skyline, reaching over to where Stiles was sleeping in the passenger's seat. "Hey, Stiles, we're here."

Stiles let out a whine, lifting his hand and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand before taking a look. His eyes quickly widened and he let out an awed gasp. "Holy shit..." He breathed, leaning forwards. His face lit up at the sight of the thousands of lights lit up like stars, and the colors of some of them and how they lit up the sides of buildings, even from this distance.

Derek smiled when Stiles reached out and squeezed his hand, happy that Stiles was already excited. "It's amazing, isn't it?" He asked, glancing over before focusing on the road again.

"Yeah, it's been so long since I've actually gotten to see a big city." Stiles murmured, shifting in his seat and sitting back so he could take it all in. 

"Oh my god, oh my god, we have to go through this tunnel!" He exclaimed, once they got closer to the city.

Derek chuckled and shook his head. "We kind of have to." He pointed out. The tunnel beneath a bridge for one of the roads above lit up brightly with medleys of blues and silhouettes. It looked like they were driving through an ocean.

"There's a dolphin!" Stiles exclaimed, pointing to one of the swimming silhouettes before looking around in excitement to see what else he could spot. Derek cast a glance over to him, looking over the shades of blue cascading over Stiles' wonderstruck face. At the moment, Derek realized that perhaps he did love Stiles just as much as Stiles said he loved him. Stiles glanced over and smiled widely at him. Derek glanced away, knowing he'd get too distracted if he looked into those eyes that shine like galaxies.

Derek followed the directions whenever the car's GPS would speak up, leading them through the city until they finally pulled up to their hotel. Stiles looked up at the enormous building, waiting for Derek to stop the car before he quickly hopped out. By the time Derek got out, Stiles was beside the trunk, bouncing on his feet in excitement. "We made it!" Stiles grinned at him.

Derek nodded and popped open the trunk so he could get their luggage. "Yeah, we did." He smiled at him, waiting for Stiles to grab his suitcase before closing the trunk.

He offered his hand out to Stiles, waiting for Stiles to take it before leading the way inside. Stiles looked around at everything the lobby had to offer while Derek led him to the front desk.

"Hi, how can I help you?" The young man behind the desk asked, smiling widely at the two of them.

"I have a reservation for Deven Hart." Derek spoke, letting go of his suitcase so he could get his wallet out.

"Yes, sir." The man replied, typing at the computer before nodding. "And your reservation is all paid for." He noted, grabbing two keys and activating them. "Your room will be on the top floor, room 2603, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He added as he held the keys out to them.

"We won't." Derek replied as he took the keys and grabbed his suitcase again.

"Enjoy your stay."

Derek walked with Stiles to the elevator, waiting patiently with him before they entered and pressed the button for the top floor. Stiles stood close to Derek, leaning back against the railing.

"Do you remember one of the first times I talked to you?" He piped up, glancing over to Derek.

Derek raised an eyebrow before remembering the warning about the elevator. He sighed through his nose and shook his head. "This is the worst possible time to bring up dangerous elevators."

Stiles chuckled and shook his head. "We're not in any danger right now, I promise. I was just thinking about how far we've come in such a short time." He said softly, tilting his head back against the wall of the elevator and closing his eyes.

Derek nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's hard to wrap my head around it sometimes, but we still have so much further to go."

Stiles nodded and opened his eyes as the elevator stopped. "We do, but we can do it. We've been doing alright so far anyways."

Derek snorted and waited for Stiles to step out first before following after him. "Just alright?"

Stiles smiled widely and glanced back to him. "Just alright."

Derek shook his head and glanced down at the back of the key, looking to the room number before taking the lead down the hallway. He walked slowly until he found it, sliding the key in and waiting for the light to flash green before pushing the door open. He flipped the lights on as they entered and stopped in his tracks. "What the hell..." He breathed in shock.

"Why'd you stop, Derek?" Stiles asked, stepping around him before he stopped too. "...Holy shit."

Derek had figured that they were just getting a normal room with maybe a king bed or two queens, but this...This was the opposite of what he was expecting. The suite was large in size, with a spacious and immaculately decorated living room with a stocked bar on one end, and a separate bedroom. There was even a hot tub in the middle of the damn floor.

Stiles grinned and rushed around the room, taking everything in. "Look how amazing it is, Derek! We have a hot tub! A freaking hot tub!" He exclaimed ecstatically.

Derek nodded, pulling his suitcase towards the bedroom. Derek shook his head at the sight of the expensive furniture in there as well. He set his suitcase on the bed and turned to Stiles. "What are you doing first?"

"I'm going hot tubbing." Stiles stated, raising his eyebrow as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He reached his his pocket, getting one of the new cell phones the group had at their disposal, thumbing through his contacts before typing up a text. "I'm going to get everyone up here for hot tubbing, I mean, we should enjoy tonight, right?"

Derek nodded, placing a hand on Stiles' lower back and rubbing as he watched Stiles text. Stiles glanced up and smiled widely, leaning over for a quick kiss. He pulled away when his phone went off and answered it, putting it to his ear.

"Hello? Yeah, this room is totally amazing, you all should come up!" He said happily, turning and heading out of the room. He talked excitedly for a few minutes before hanging up and coming back into the room. "Everyone is on their way, so we should change." He smiled widely, reaching out and gently nudging his fist against Derek's side.

Derek smiled a little and reached out to tickle Stiles' side again briefly. Stiles grinned and stepped away from him, turning his suitcase as he moved around the bed so Derek couldn't reach him. "Are you drinking tonight?" Derek asked, unzipping his suitcase so he could find his swimsuit.

"That depends, are you going to let me?" Stiles asked, glancing up to him.

"Why wouldn't I let you?" Derek asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Because you're the mature, old one here, and I'm the younger, naive one."

Derek rolled his eyes. "I'm twenty-six, that's not exactly old."

"Obviously I have a thing for older, matured men. I like my men like a fine wine, cool and locked in my basement." Derek let out a choked off laugh in surprise.

"Oh my God, Stiles." Stiles grinned at him, shrugging and glancing down at his suitcase. He unzipped it and opened it before rummaging through it. Stiles furrowed his eyebrows in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened and he pulled his trunks out before quickly shutting the suitcase.

Derek gave him a puzzled look. "What's up?" He asked, confused by that reaction.

Stiles coughed awkwardly and shook his head as a pink hue tinted his cheeks. "Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about, Derrykins."

Derek's expression soured a little at the pet name. "You're not going to actually start calling me that now, are you?"

Stiles pursed his lips together and paused in taking his shirt off. "Der, Der Bear, Derrykins, I feel like I have a long list of things I want to call you." He finally spoke up with a smirk as he worked his shirt off.

Derek rolled his eyes at that. "You're ridiculous." He stated, taking his own shirt off and tossing it lightly at Stiles' face. Stiles let out a sound akin to a squeak with it hit him, pulling it away and throwing it back. Derek caught it and tossed it over to a spot on the floor so he could make a pile of clothes and keep it out of the way.

Derek watched as Stiles changed into his swimsuit, admiring some of the marks that still remained on Stiles' chest and shoulders from the other day. He made a mental note that he'd had to refresh them at some point. Stiles noticed him staring and quirked an eyebrow before he shot Derek a small smile.

"Admiring the view?" Stiles asked, toeing his shoes and socks off before pushing them underneath the bed with a gentle nudge of his foot. He then pushed his pants and boxers down his hips and stepped out of them so he could pull the swim trunks on.

"I am. I was actually thinking about how I need to cover you in more of my mark." Stiles stared at Derek in silence for a moment before moving their suitcases off of the bed and setting them both out of the way.

"Yeah, we can totally do that." He said quickly, stepping over to Derek and pulling him close so he could kiss him. Derek huffed a soft laugh against Stiles' mouth, placing his hands on his hips and gently grazing his nails against his skin in light brushes.

He slid his hands down and lifted Stiles, turning and setting him on the bed. Derek briefly broke the kiss as he pushed Stiles onto his back and climbed over him, resting his elbows on either side of Stiles' head as he kissed him again. Stiles slid his tongue out and brushed it against Derek's bottom lip in an attempt to coax his tongue out. Derek followed the movement with his own tongue before sliding it inside of Stiles' mouth to run against his.

Stiles let out a soft moan and slid his arms around Derek, grazing his nails up and down his back. Derek shivered at the touch, breaking the kiss to begin a trail of light kisses down Stiles' jaw. As he got to his neck, he began to lightly bite and suck at the pale skin, sliding his hand down Stiles' hip and cupping his hand against his thigh. Stiles hitched his leg around Derek's waist, digging his nails in a little deeper to leave short reddened lines across his skin.

Derek bit at Stiles' shoulder, applying more pressure and listening to the choked off moan Stiles let out. Derek rubbed Stiles' thigh in languid strokes, rutting his hips down against Stiles'. Stiles moaned out at the feeling and jerked his hips up against Derek's. Derek rut his hips a little harder, sucking at his skin.

Stiles let out a shaky moan, sliding his hands down to grab Derek's ass and press his hips down more against his. Derek exhaled shakily, squeezing his thigh. Before Derek could go further, there came a knock on the door. Derek actually growled against Stiles' skin at the sound of the interruption.

Stiles laughed a little breathlessly, wriggling out from under Derek. "They're here!" He said happily, getting out and rushing to open the door.

Derek sighed and he rolled onto his back, closing his eyes and trying to calm his body. He adjusted himself as he stood, hissing slightly. Maybe he could get away with hiding back in the room until his election went away.

Once it finally did, he finished changing and headed out to where everyone else was hanging out. Half of them were enjoying the hot tub, while others hung out at the bar or around the couches.

Stiles was seated on the edge of the hot tub, sipping at a drink in his hand and talking to Scott. Derek was relieved to see that they seemed to still be getting along just fine. Stiles glanced up at Derek and smiled widely at him.

Derek smiled back and headed over to the bar, where Erica, Isaac, and Boyd were gathered and mixing drinks. Isaac looked over to Derek and smiled widely at him. "Hey, Derek."

"Hey." Derek smiled back. Derek realized he hadn't spent too much time with Isaac since they first escaped, he was either always having to work on something, or Isaac was spending time with Erica and Boyd. Derek was happy to see what they seemed to have healthy polyamorous relationship going on. It made him proud that Isaac was getting to a really good place.

He no longer looked pale and exhausted and he was smiling a lot more. "You look really good." Derek noted.

"It's all thanks to you." Derek shook his head at Isaac's words.

"No, it wasn't just me. You were a really big help in it as well." He stated.

Isaac shrugged a little, running his thumb over his glass. "When we were trapped in there, before we even thought we'd get out, you never stopped believing in me and trying to help me. Without that, I don't know if I would have made it."

Derek nodded and reached out to pat Isaac's shoulder. "I'm really glad that you did. You're stronger than you realize."

Isaac smiled wider at that. "Thank you." Derek nodded and poured himself a whiskey on the rocks before heading to see what everyone else was doing.

As the evening passed, Derek kept an eye on everyone and made sure that they were having fun. Mostly because Stiles and Scott were both the youngest and were definitely the most wasted.

Derek also noticed that the more Stiles drank, the more happy and affectionate he'd get. Every time Derek would get close to him, Stiles would make sure that he'd touch him in some way. It was always in soft brushes of his fingers on Derek's chest or thigh, or he'd lean against him and nuzzle his shoulder. Derek smiled and kissed his head softly.

"You're so pretty." Stiles murmured, tracing his abs and smiling up at him. At this point, just about all of the others had gone back to their rooms, and currently all that was Scott. Scott was passed out on the couch, cuddled up with a blanket that Derek had set over him. Stiles and Derek on the other hand were curled up on the bed. Stiles was babbling on and Derek was just trying to get him to fall asleep.

"You've said that five times now." Derek pointed out, sliding his arm around Stiles' shoulder. He had thankfully gotten Stiles into pajamas, despite a lot of protest from him.

"I know, but like, you're so _so_ pretty...Like, how are you so pretty?" Stiles asked, snuggling up closer to Derek.

"Genetics, I guess?" Derek replied, looking down at him before kissing his forehead.

"You must have super pretty parents then." Stiles noted before giving Derek a dopey smile. "I really love forehead kisses. They make me happy, like whoa."

Derek chuckled and rubbed Stiles' back. "I know, that's why I keep giving you kisses there."

Stiles hummed in content and nuzzled into his shoulder. "You're like _the_ best boyfriend in the world. Yeah, definitely. Like, I'm gonna give you an award later."

Derek chuckled at that and shook his head. "Just go to sleep. You can give me an award later, okay?"

"I'm going to blow you later. Not right now, but later. Too sleepy." Stiles murmured, nuzzling his face against Derek's chest.

"You're cute when you're drunk." Derek replied, kissing the top of Stiles' head to make him happy.

Stiles giggled and nodded before yawning. "Yeah, I am cute."

Derek thought about things for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know how a blow job works?"

Stiles thought about it and shrugged. "I'll figure it out. You just figure out how to keep being pretty, okay?"

Derek rolled his eyes at that. "I'll get right on that." He stated in a flat voice.

"Good Derek." Stiles murmured slowly, loosening his grip on Derek's waist before he finally crashed. Derek smiled a little and shifted carefully so he could turn the lights off. He pulled the blankets up to Stiles' shoulder, rubbing his back again until he finally fell asleep himself.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you again for continuing to support and read the fic! It means so much! I'm actually kind of nervous because this is my first time writing and posting smut that wasn't Roleplay based! I hope you all like it! There is also a surprise at the end!

Morning almost came too soon for Derek. Between the warmth coming from between his and Stiles' bodies, and the comfort of the mattress, he was reluctant to move. He glanced down to where Stiles was still curled up against him and smiled a little before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. Stiles didn't really react to the kiss and Derek was reminded of just how much Stiles drank last night.

He carefully moved away from Stiles, doing his best to not disturb him as he got out of bed. Stiles rolled onto his side when Derek moved, but other than that, he stayed asleep.

Derek smiled a little and admired Stiles for a moment before heading off to go find some ibuprofen and fill a glass with water. Once he had the two, he set them on Stiles' end table and closed the curtains in the bedroom to make sure it would be fairly dark until he was feeling well enough. He did the same in the living room to make sure that Scott wouldn't wake up to a brightly lit room either. 

Once that was done, he ordered some room service for the three of them so the two would have something to nibble at when they finally woke up.

Scott was awake by the time that room service arrived, so Derek quietly told him to take the medicine and set the plate down beside him. It wasn't too much longer after that that Derek heard groaning and cursing coming from the bedroom. When he entered the room, the sight of Stiles bundled in blankets with a pillow pressed over his head brought a small smile to his face.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asked softly.

Stiles groaned and shifted under the safety of the covers. "I feel like hell." He croaked out.

"Welcome to your first hangover. Do you feel nauseous?" Derek asked as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. Stiles moved the pillow and nodded a little.

"Mostly just the headache and nausea."

"You need to take some ibuprofen then and take it easy. I ordered some food for us, so you can eat it when you're ready." Stiles gave a nod and took the medication, sighing softly and leaning back against his little nest of pillows. He held the glass in his hands as he closed his eyes, letting himself relax a little more.

"Do you want to sleep until the medicine kicks in?" Derek asked, reaching to take the glass so Stiles wouldn't fall back asleep with it still in his hands.

Stiles loosened his grip and let him take it. "I don't know if I can sleep when my stomach is like this. Who thought that alcohol was a good idea? It's like...the worst idea ever created."

Derek laughed lightly and shook his head. "You seemed to have fun with it last night."

Stiles shrugged a little, scrunching his face up. "Apparently every single fun thing has consequences." He stated as he rolled onto his side.

Derek smiled and rubbed his back in an attempt to help him feel better. Stiles let out a low whining noise and Derek's smile grew. God, Stiles was adorably pathetic when hungover. "You're ridiculous." He murmured affectionately.

"Hangovers are ridiculous." Stiles mumbled back. Well, he wasn't wrong about that one.

"Just get some rest. I'll heat your food up when you want it." Stiles let out a soft noise to let Derek know he heard him.

Derek watched him a moment longer before heading back to the living room so Stiles could rest.

While Scott and Stiles slept their hangovers away, Derek left the hotel with all of the girls so they could meet with one of the contacts that Braeden and Chris had set up for them. Braeden rode with Derek in his borrowed car, giving him directions to guide him while Allison and Kira followed in another car.

Braeden routed him to a secluded warehouse that was surrounded with a high gate. She leaned over Derek and pressed a call button beside the pin keys. They waited for a little over a minute before a voice came through the speaker.

"Can I help you?" A man's voice asked.

"Yeah, we're here for a pick up. Reservations under the name of Argent." Braeden replied simply. The other end was quiet for a moment before the gates opened. She leaned back and didn't bother with her seat belt.

Derek pulled the car through the gate, glancing back to make sure that it closed after the others made it through as well. Afterwards, he looked forwards again and watched as a man came out of the building.

Derek looked him over as he parked the car and shut it off, wondering if this really was the contact. The man was Derek's age, and was dressed in a black and grey striped tank top, jeans, and black Converse. His dark hair was messily spiked to where Derek wondered if he just rolled out of bed, ruffled it, and called it good.

The man gave the group a brief once over before he walked straight past Derek and to where Allison was getting out of her car. "Long time no see. Have things been going well?"

"Yeah, we're finally getting on a decent path to fighting Eichen." Allison smiled widely, giving him a quick hug. Allison obviously knew him, so that was a good sign that this was a trusted contact.

"Badass." The man grinned, stepping back and motioning to the group. "Your pick up is just about ready anyways, follow me. Just try not to harm any of the merchandise, okay? Not that I don't trust your group." He carried on, shoving one of his hands into the pocket of his jeans.

"So, I don't think I caught your name." Derek spoke, raising an eyebrow as he followed the man.

The man laughed lightly. "You're correct on that. You didn't catch it because I didn't give you it. I don't deal names with new people, no offense. I don't want anything coming back to me in case Eichen gets their hands on you."

Derek gave Allison a questioning look. Allison noticed the look and shrugged a little, giving him a sympathetic expression. "A's close to the family. He's a former guard and an escapee."

"They locked you up?" Derek asked curiously, looking back to the guy, A, as Allison called him.

"My two weeks notice basically turned in to my family getting killed. So yeah, fuck Eichen." A replied, glancing back to Derek, stopping at the garage door and tapping at a keypad. Derek grimaced and couldn't help but feel bad for the poor guy. "Ever since I escaped, I pool my time and money into collecting things for anyone that wants to fuck Eichen over. Cars, storage, information, anything I can do to help." He stated before turning and facing the group as the door started to open.

"But enough about that, the club you're going to, Nova, it's a pretty exclusive club with high tastes. Since you want to blend in, I picked out some generally high class cars for you all." He stated, motioning to the different choices once they were visible to the group. Near the door sat a variety of a red Audi R8 Spyder, a green Lamborghini, a white Corvette, a black Camaro, and a silver Porsche. Derek raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked over the cars.

"How did you get these?" He asked, glancing over to A. He earned a shrug in response.

"Chris pays me and I deliver." A replied with a shrug of his shoulders before motioning towards the cars. "Take your pick and have some fun. Keys are in the ignition."

Derek nodded and looked to the others. "Do you all want to pick first?" He asked, raising his eyebrows a little.

He watched as each of them picked a car until he was left between the Audi and the Camaro. Derek gave a shrug and took the Camaro. It reminded him of home.

Afterwards, it was back to the hotel for final preparation. Derek made sure that everyone knew where they would need to be and their tasks. By nightfall, everyone separated into groups and went straight to the club.

Derek arrived last, waiting the final spacing of fifteen minutes per group to park and head up towards the club. The outside of the club was illuminated with shades of blue and violet lighting with an image of a galaxy lit up along the building. Derek could even see the lights twinkling on the building. There was the faint thumping of the music inside, muffled through the doors. He walked up towards the front of the line, taking a black card with a red nebula adorning the back out of his dress jacket and showing it to the bouncer. The bouncer scanned the card with a device on his wrists before nodding to Derek and pushing the door open.

Derek nodded and took his wallet out to place the card inside as he entered the building. The club was alive with dozens of people dancing on the floor, at the bars, or just mingling off to the side. Derek scanned the bottom floor of the club and placed where everyone was. Everyone was in position so far. He looked through the crowd on the dance floor for a sign of Scott and Stiles before finally locating them.

Stiles was currently dancing with some guy, sending waves of jealousy through Derek. He pursed his lips together and exhaled through his nose before heading down towards him. He carefully pushed through the people until he was behind Stiles, frowning at the guy dancing with him. The guy glanced up and furrowed his eyebrows but stepped back when he noticed that Derek's expression clearly seemed to read 'get lost.' He backed away and put his hands up to show he wasn't a threat to Derek before he moved on. Stiles cocked his head in confusion before he turned around and grinned. "Oh hi!"

"What the fuck?" That was the first thing to come out of Derek's mouth. Not because of the random guy, no, that was different. It was because Stiles' eyes were illuminated in a shade of neon purple. Judging by the way his eyes were dilated, these weren't contacts, and Stiles was high.

Stiles blinked in surprise at Derek comment and raised his eyebrows, his eyes seeming to light up brighter in amusement. "What?"

"What's with your eyes?"

Stiles flashed Derek a grin and motioned to his eyes. "It's this thing, it's called Glow, and oh my god, it's amazing. His eyes lit up against the colors of the lights shining down on the dance floor, contrasting with the shades on his pale skin. The colors danced on his face to the thumping of the music.

Derek sighed and closed his eyes briefly. "You've been here for half an hour, and you're already high?" He shook his head and turned his attention to Scott. "Damn it, Scott. You're supposed to be making sure this stuff doesn't happen."

Scott looked over at Derek with a sheepish smile on his face and bright red colored eyes. Derek grimaced at the sight. Well, this was fantastic. He opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it and moved on. He'd deal with that later.

Derek focused on everyone else instead, managing to make brief eye contact with Boyd. Boyd glanced towards the stairs and gave a nod. Everything was in position.

Derek headed towards the stairs, getting out his card again to show to the bouncer. The bouncer looked over the red of the nebula before nodded and motioning for him to head upstairs.

Derek went up and looked around, spotting Allison sitting a table. Allison motioned towards a closed off area before focusing on her drink again.

He went over towards the closed table before opening the dark blue curtains. That's where he found Peter, overlooking the dance floor and swirling his drink as he watched everyone. Derek shut the curtains behind himself and cleared his throat.

Peter turned towards him, his face lighting up in surprise. "Derek? What a surprise. I wouldn't expect you to be in this area. What can I do for you?"

Derek frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I need to speak with you about a few things. I'm sure you know where I've been."

"I've heard bits from your mother." Peter replied, taking a seat on the violet velvet lined booth seating and motioning for Derek to do the same. Derek stayed by the curtains for now. Peter shrugged it off. "So, you're out now."

"I'm going to need your help. The group in working with, their goal is to take the corporation down once and for all. We can't let them keep getting away with the things they've been doing. They murder patients, weaponize them after brainwashing them, and then there's that thing they do....The HADES serum?"

Peter's eyes widened in surprise. "You know about the HADES project?"

Derek furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait, you know about it?"

Peter sighed and leaned back, swirling his drink in his glass. "First, you need to tell me how much you know about it. Then I'll give you more information regarding it."

Derek sighed in frustration and rolled his eyes. "I know that it was introduced in children that Eichen took in under the false pretense of night terror treatment. That if it didn't make the patient sick or kill them, that it had a different reaction. That's about it. I don't know why or what it is exactly."

Peter exhaled through his nose in amusement. "My, my. That's more than I figured you would know, but it's still not quite enough. The HADES serum initially started out with several curiosities. Gerard's obsession with power is one thing that caused the doctors to inject it into children. He wanted to see how much they could take and how it could affect their dreams. Many of the children that he tested on died, of course. It put too much stress on their minds and bodies, they couldn't handle it."

Derek glanced towards the window, thinking about Stiles and how he had coped with it. "What can you tell me about the children that survived?"

"Every single one of the remaining children changed. Each of them became their own category of new projects. Some became glorified attack dogs while others showed much more promise."

"Like Patient 000-192?" Peter's eyes lit up with interest at the mention.

"You're aware of Patient Zero? Do you have him with you? You really must be playing a dangerous game."

"What does Gerard want with him? What's his goal with him?" Derek questioned, his frown deepening.

"I can't go into too much detail here, but Patient Zero is everything to Gerard. He's still not perfected quite yet, but he has always had so much potential. To Gerard, Patient Zero is both rebirth and destruction."

"Okay, but how?" Derek asked impatiently. He didn't want these vague answers.

"With his powers, Stiles can be a very deadly weapon. Once he has control, of course. Think of him as a small nuclear bomb. He's very dangerous when he's unstable, but if he has control, he's incredibly deadly. Gerard wants to keep his hands on Stiles because Stiles can give him more power. If he has it his way, his groups of Feral Ones and their leaders will all be led by Stiles. If that happens, Gerard will be virtually impossible to stop. So the question I have, is what do you need from me? I want to stop Gerard from having this much power."

"We'll need your help with access cards and getting into the buildings, or anything useful. Chris Argent will tell you more of what we need once we get the two of you connected."

Peter nodded, standing and setting his drink down. "I'll do what's needed, as long as you promise me you'll do whatever it takes to stop Gerard."

"I promise." Derek replied simply.

Peter raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Would you keep that promise if it ever came down to killing Stiles?"

Derek went rigid at the thought of killing Stiles. He just didn't know if he could ever do something like that, not after everything that they've gone through so far. He couldn't do that after everything Stiles has been through; Stiles deserved freedom more than any of the other escapees.

Peter watched Derek expectantly before sighing and shaking his head. "I doubt that you'd ever be able to kill Gerard's favorite pet, even if I put your gun in your hand and made you hold it to his forehead. No matter though, that's only a worst case scenario task anyways. I honestly don't want any harm to come to that beautiful mind of his." Derek didn't really like the way that Peter talked about Stiles, but remained silent about it. They apparently needed his uncle.

"We'll get in contact with you and start working together soon." He mumbled.

"That sounds fine to me. Be careful though, there are eyes and ears everywhere." Peter replied, stepping away from the window and setting his drink on the table. "Speaking of, we have company."

Derek frowned at the words, stepping closer to the window and peering through it. He felt his throat tighten in panic at the sight of Eichen guards filing in through the front doors. One lifted their gun in the air and fired twice.

The boisterous night club filled with screams as terrified patrons quickly rushed out of the night club as swiftly as they could. Derek could see his group take cover in safe positions before Boyd opened fire on the guards. The lights still flickered colorfully on the floor as they battled, the music thumping in time to the sound of gunfire.

Derek swiftly got his own gun out, crouching down low and peering out through the curtains. He could spot Braeden and Allison taking cover on different sides of the floor. Braeden was near the stairs, keeping focused so she could surprise anyone coming up the steps.

Derek watched the stairs before he met Braeden's gaze and motioned to her when he saw caught glimpse of a black helmet. Braeden nodded and got a knife out before she surprised the guard and buried it in his neck. Derek cringed at the sight but didn't move in case any more of them came up. Thankfully only three more guards were unlucky enough to come up the stairs on either side.

Derek sighed as he let the adrenaline start to ease down, closing his eyes as his pulse pounded in his ears over the music as it continued to play. Once it had calmed enough, he rushed down the steps, taking care not to slip on any blood or bodies, so he could get to the main floor and do a head count.

Erica and Isaac were hovering around Boyd, Derek could see him holding his hand pressed to his arm. From the looks of it, the bullet only grazed him. On the opposite side, Malia and Kira were just fine with only a few cosmetic injuries from close combat. Scott was checking on Allison to make sure she was okay.

Scott....Derek looked around and felt a surge of panic shoot through his body in a cold rush. Everyone was accounted for, except for Stiles.

He stormed around the main floor, checking behind the bar and under any of the tables. Nothing. He wasn't in the bathroom. He clenched his teeth together and shoved open any door he came across.

Derek found Stiles in one of the back rooms, leaned up against a wall with his back to Derek. "Stiles?" Derek called, placing a hand on his shoulder and stepping around so he could look at his face. The violet in his eyes was reduced to small freckles of luminescent color and his pupils were back to their normal size. The shade of purple matched the bruising swelling up Stiles' cheek and made the red of his blood coloring the edge of his lips seem darker. Stiles' hair was a mess, as if it had been pulled.

Derek lowered his gaze and saw red. Dark droplets of crimson dripped from Stiles' left arm; his forearm was covered in the stuff. Stiles didn't look at Derek and instead kept his gaze forwards. Derek followed his line of vision and swallowed hard at the sight of the guard slouched against the wall with a hole in his chest. Derek realized that it was the bouncer that had let Derek upstairs to the VIP room. Fuck. Eichen really did have their eyes here too.

"He dragged me back here." Stiles finally whispered, still staring at the guard. "While everyone was busy, he grabbed me and pulled me away. I don't know, I closed my eyes for a second, and when I opened them again, my arm was through him."

Derek shrugged out of his black jacket, wordlessly resting it on Stiles' shoulders and tugging the lapels until Stiles was against his chest. Stiles didn't resist the pull, resting his head on his shoulder and staring at the guard until Derek turned him away. "Let's get you back to the room."

Stiles nodded and let Derek pull away to take hold of his clean hand so he could lead him out to the dance floor.

"We'll split up again before the police arrive, keep your phones close and we'll regroup in the morning. I doubt they'll follow us right now, but keep an eye out." Derek commanded, making sure everyone heard and understood before he took Stiles outside.

Stiles was silent the entire ride back to their hotel, but whenever Derek would glance over, he could see Stiles' gaze flicker back and forth in thought. Derek didn't take him away from his thoughts, not knowing what he could say to help him feel better just yet.

Derek was thankful to find the lobby of the hotel empty so he could easily get Stiles into the elevator and up to their suite. After unlocking the door, he lightly placed his hand on Stiles' back and gently guided him inside first. He got Stiles in the bathroom and took the jacket away before grabbing a washcloth to run it over warm water.

Stiles didn't flinch when Derek took his hand to clean it, but he was finally looking at Derek. Stiles stared on as Derek wiped the blood away. "Do you want to talk about it?" Derek asked, squeezing the reddened cloth into the sink and rinsing it.

Stiles mulled it over before shaking his head. "It was either him or me. I don't know what I did, exactly, but I know that it wasn't...really wrong. He wanted to kill us."

Derek nodded, dropping the cloth in the sink and turning the water off before he cupped Stiles' face. "That's right. You didn't do anything wrong."

Stiles nodded and searched Derek's gaze before speaking. "I want to take a shower."

"I'll give you some space then. I can set out clothes for you if you want." Derek offered in an attempt to help him feel better.

Stiles shook his head and placed his hands over Derek's so Derek couldn't pull them away. "No, I mean...I want you to shower with me." He murmured before hesitating. "If you want to, of course."

Derek let out a light hum and leaned forwards to kiss Stiles tenderly. "I want to." He whispered as he pulled away.

Stiles gave a small relieved smile and nodded before taking a step back so he could pull his shirt over his head. Derek searched his bare chest for any other wounds and was relieved to see only pale skin.

Stiles watched Derek's gaze and stepped forwards so he could undo Derek's belt. "I'd like to do more than just shower too, if that's okay."

Derek raised his eyebrows and set his hands over Stiles' to stop him before he got too far. "Are you sure?"

Stiles nodded and glanced up to Derek. "I want to, if you want to. I don't want to be afraid anymore tonight. I want to focus on something good."

Derek nodded and let go of Stiles' hands so he could continue. "If you change your mind at any point, let me know and I'll back off."

"I'll let you know if that happens." Stiles promised, undoing Derek's jeans before tugging them downwards. Derek did the same for Stiles before stepping out of his jeans and pulling away to turn the shower on and prepare the water. Once it was warm enough, he stripped out of his boxer-briefs and smiled a little when Stiles stepped inside the shower once he was naked as well. Stiles sighed in content at the warmth of the water, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.

Derek stepped in after him and shut the glass door behind them. As he watched Stiles from behind, he raised his hands to Stiles' shoulders and began to rub them in an attempt to ease his residual tension. Derek could hear a choked off whine and kept it up until Stiles' was no longer tense. 

Derek smiled as he slid his arm around Stiles' waist. He pressed Stiles flush to his chest and placed a kiss on his shoulder, tracing his fingers up and down Stiles' stomach. "If we're going to do this, I need to know the extent of your experience."

Stiles huffed a soft laugh as he shivered at Derek's every touch. "You already know that you're my first kiss."

"I don't mean that. Did you ever touch yourself?"

Stiles flushed and shrugged his shoulders as he lowered his head. "Of course I did. I have a libido."

"How far would you go with yourself? Did you ever get more curious? Or did you just focus on this?" Derek asked slowly, lowering his hand and wrapping his fingers loosely around the base of Stiles' cock. He moved his hand in languid strokes, listening to the noises Stiles did his best to hold in. Derek rested his chin on his shoulder and stopped his hand, earning a whine of protest. "I asked you a question, Stiles."

Stiles sighed and rested his hand against Derek's. "Mostly it was just jerking off. I've only gotten lucky in the way of lube a few times."

Derek nodded and kissed his neck as he began to move his head again. "And now I know how to treat you. Communication is key, Stiles."

"I want to kick you and kiss you at the same time." Stiles stated before biting at his lip as he tilted his head back.

"I'm sure you do, but there wouldn't be much fun in that." Derek replied and pulled his hand away. "Lean back against the wall."

"What? Why?" Stiles asked in protest, unhappy that Derek kept stopping.

"I want your back against the wall so I can give you a blowjob." Derek spoke slowly, turning Stiles to face him. It was comical how Stiles' jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he processed it. Derek gave a proud smirk and pressed a kiss to his jaw. "Be a good boy for me."

Stiles let out a soft laugh and turned his head to kiss him, playfully biting his lip before he felt Derek’s tongue against his. He couldn’t stop grinning as he dug his nails into his shoulders and began to scratch over them.

Derek growled a little in his chest, breaking the kiss and detaching Stiles’ arms from around his back so he could press him back against the tile. He palmed his hands against Stiles’ thighs before slowly gripping the metal rod screwed into the wall and kneeling down in front of him as he kissed his way down his chest, until he could nip at the skin near Stiles’ navel.

Stiles ran his fingers through Derek’s wet hair, slowly raising his eyebrows. “You’re kind of gorgeous when you’re on your knees for me.”

“Shut up,” Derek murmured without any malice. He brought one of Stiles’ legs over his shoulder, kissing up his thigh and against his hips and basically everywhere /but/ Stiles’ cock as a punishment for the knees comment. He eventually brought Stiles’ cock into his hand though and licked from base to tip, flicking his tongue against the end before closing his mouth over it before pulling off again. Stiles jolted and inhaled sharply at the sensation.

Derek began to stroke Stiles again and circled his thumb around the tip, glancing up to watch Stiles' reaction. Stiles had his eyes closed and his head tilted back against the wall as he let out short breaths.

Derek was more than a little proud at how quickly he could turn Stiles on and leaned forwards to take the tip of Stiles' length back inside of his mouth.

He could barely remember the last time he had given a blow job. He was out of practice to say the least, but he figured that as long as he eased himself into it, he could do a satisfactory job for Stiles. The last thing he wanted was for Stiles' first glimpses of sex to be disappointing. He experimented with the heavy weight of it on his tongue, rubbing it against the underside before he began to bob his head. He took Stiles' cock in a little more each time he'd move back down, getting used to the feeling before hollowing his cheeks and sucking at him. 

Stiles gasped out, jerking his hips and scratching at the wall with his free hand. "Holy fuck, Derek." Stiles breathed, licking his lips and lightly thumping his head back against the tile wall.

Derek smirked at the sound of his enjoyment, stroking up his shaft to meet his mouth in the center so he could add more sensation to him. He gripped Stiles' hip in his other hand, keeping him steady every now and again when Stiles would wriggle too much. Stiles tugged harder at Derek's hair before whining and quickly letting go. "S-Shit, sorry was that too hard?"

Derek pulled off of Stiles and pressed kisses over his hips and down his thighs. "No, that wasn't too much." He replied, standing again to press a kiss to his lips. "Do you want more?"

"What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I do." Stiles replied with a raise of his eyebrows, trying to ease his heavy breathing.

Derek smiled and kissed him briefly before pulling away to turn off the cooking water of the shower. "We'll finish this up in the bedroom then."

Stiles nodded and followed him out of the shower, sighing as Derek grabbed two towels and handed one over. They dried off swiftly, mostly making sure they weren't just dripping anymore before Derek took Stiles' hand and led them to the bedroom.

Derek thought about how he should go about the next part of his plan and realized they were missing a few key things. "We don't have any lube."

Stiles paused in drying his hair off and tossed his towel aside. "Actually, we do." He replied, heading over to his suitcase and crouching down to pull it open and rummage through it.

"You packed lube?" Derek asked incredulously, raising his eyebrows.

Stiles shrugged a little. "I didn't pack it. Lydia made a sort of...gift package for us, just in case, I guess. That's why I shut my bag so quickly last night." He replied as he got the lube out. "There's also assorted condoms, if you want to use one."

"Do you want me to use one?"

Stiles pursed his lips and shook his head. "I think we'll be fine without one. I want to try it without it for the first time."

Derek nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. When Stiles stop again, he motioned for him to come over, patting the space beside him on the bed. Stiles did one better, bounding over and climbing right onto Derek's lap. He slid his arms around Derek's shoulders and pressed their lips together. Derek let out a soft sound of amusement against his mouth and slid his tongue in once Stiles opened his mouth for him. He gripped Stiles' hips as he focused on the kiss, lightly running his thumbs over the curve of his hips.

Stiles let out a soft groan against Derek's mouth and rut his hips down. He seemed to enjoy the sensation and smiled wider as he did it again. Derek felt a growl rumble in his chest at Stiles' teasing and pulled away so he could move them up the bed more and flip Stiles onto his back.

Stiles laughed in amusement and grinned up at Derek. "You seem to be losing your cool, Mr. Hale." He noted, raising his eyebrows.

"And you're a tease." Stiles raised his eyebrows in surprise at Derek's statement. He reached over, brushing his fingers down Derek's cock and giving him feather light caresses from base to tip.

Derek reacted by taking Stiles' wrists in his hands and pinning them above his head. "Yes, you're a tease." He murmured slowly as he tried to keep his composure. "So if you want to be good for me and get rewarded, you're going to keep your hands above your head while I get your ready for me." Derek watched as Stiles' eyes widened in interest, how he swallowed in anticipation. Stiles opened his mouth to speak before he shut it with a click of his teeth and nodded.

"Good boy. Lift your hips for me." Derek ordered coolly, reaching for one of the pillows. He waited for Stiles to do as he asked before he placed the pillow beneath his hips to add leverage. "Now I need the lube." He motioned with his hand until Stiles handed it over. 

Derek couldn't stop from smirking when Stiles quickly raised his arm back over his head. Apparently he did like being bossed around in bed. Derek figured it must make up a little for having such a smart mouth. 

Derek thumbed open the bottle of lube and dribbled a little onto his fingers before circling his thumb around the digits to warm it up. Stiles watched his fingers with rapt interest, licking his lips occasionally.

"Are you ready?" Derek asked, capturing his attention again. Stiles nodded and smiled up at him.

"Yeah, we totally have got this."

Derek smiled and leaned forwards to press a kiss to Stiles' forehead. "Remember, it's never too late to turn back."

Stiles stated up into his eyes before shaking his head. "I don't want to turn back." He whispered to him. "I want to keep moving forwards."

Derek gave a nod and sat back before lowering his slick fingers. He stroked his finger against Stiles’ hole, briefly circling it before slowly pressing inside. He watched Stiles' expression, the way he lightly gasped and closed his eyes as Derek eased it in knuckle by knuckle. "Still okay?" Derek asked, moving it slowly and testing Stiles' reaction.

"Still okay." Stiles whispered back to him.

"Just stay relaxed for me. You're doing such a great job." Derek encouraged him, feeling him start to relax the more he moved his finger. When he was relaxed enough, Derek pulled his finger out to the tip and eased his middle finger in as well. As he continued to slowly open Stiles with his fingers, he raised his other hand to gently stroke him.

Once he had three fingers in and Stiles was rocking his hips with his hand, Derek began searching for that sweet spot that would really drive Stiles made. Stiles soon jerked his hips and let out a strangled sob, lowering his hand to cover his mouth as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Derek huffed a soft laugh, brushing his fingers against it again and watching Stiles writhe for him. He leaned over to brush his lips over Stiles' clavicle and used the distraction to slip his fingers out.

"What? No!" Stiles whined in protest, wriggling beneath Derek and looping his leg around his waist.

Derek raised his eyebrows and looked up to him. "Don't you want me to fuck you?"

Stiles' breath caught in his throat as he remembered that was the plan before he nodded quickly. "Yeah, holy fuck, Derek, please fuck me."

Derek had to close his eyes for a moment and let out a breath. Dear God, Stiles had him wrapped around his finger.

He nodded and sat back, using the residual lube on his fingers slicking himself up before he reached for that part of him, just a little. The part that felt territorial, and possessive over Stiles, so much so that Derek had to inhale and focus his eyes on Stiles in order to right himself. The beautiful Stiles that was spread out before him, vulnerable and open. Right now, Derek was the only thing that Stiles needed in the world. “Ready?” he asked, his voice low and steady.

Stiles nodded, sliding his arms around Derek and running his fingers over the back of his neck. “If it’s too much for me tonight, I’ll let you know.” He said softly, just in case. He was nervous to finally be intimate with someone like this, but he trusted Derek completely.

Derek nodded, running his tongue over his own lips before he pressed them, hot and wet against Stiles’ mouth. He lifted Stiles' hips a little higher, effortlessly, his hands keeping hold of Stiles’ thighs so that he wouldn’t lose his grip. He stretched his fingers out so that he could get himself at the right angle to press himself against Stiles’ opening. He went slow for Stiles, not wanting to give him too much too fast.

He swore under his breath as he broke the kiss once he bottomed out, pressing more urgent and teeth-filled kisses to Stiles’ neck. “You’re being so good for me,” he said softly, between reaching the base of Stiles’ neck and starting the trail up again on Stiles’ collarbone.

Stiles exhaled shakily as he ran his fingers through Derek’s hair, taking a slow and steady breath as he shifted a little to get used to the feeling. He swallowed slowly and breathed through his nose before he slowly smiled and let out a shaky laugh. “I love being good for you.” He told him softly. He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose, grazing his nails against Derek's skin.

Derek tentatively thrusted against him, gritting his teeth together as he did. Stiles was so fucking tight and hot around him. “You always are. You're so willing to try new things." He murmured to him, swiping his tongue across the hollow of his neck.

“I’m an eager boy.” Stiles said softly, exhaling shakily before he let out a low moan and tilted his head back against the soft pillows. “So far...Everything’s been so, uh, awesome, so I want more.”

“Whatever you want,” Derek answered, pressing his lips against Stiles’ throat, thrusting against him a little more confidently now that he knew that his initial ones had been fine. “But definitely more.”

Stiles nodded at his words, moaning out a bit louder at the feeling. “Y-Yeah, please.” He whispered, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to stop himself from letting out a whine.

Derek hummed in response, huffing a breath between his lips as he rocked his hips back and forth, grunting every once in a while at the feeling. Something inside of Derek drove him to push forward faster, harder. He let it, knowing that if Stiles didn't like it, he would speak up and Derek would make himself stop for him.

As Derek went harder, Stiles got louder as he tightened his legs around Derek waist. He clawed at Derek’s skin in the feeling of his bliss, roughly running his nails over his shoulders and back as he cried out his name every now and again. He could feel the pressure starting to build up in his abdomen and whined as he dropped his head to Derek’s shoulder and bit down in an attempt to muffle his noises.

Derek growled at the pressure of teeth on his shoulder, a growl that caught in his throat and cut off as he moaned out Stiles’ name. He was close, _so_ goddamn close and Stiles was crying his name and whining and he lost himself in the feeling of it. His fingers flexed into Stiles’ skin as he gave in to the need to kiss him. He covered Stiles’ lips with his own and kissed him roughly, breaking it only to say, “Close.” A one word signal that he was almost there.

Stiles huffed out a shaky breath, nodding quickly when he pulled away. He muffled his noises against his mouth by kissing him roughly again, closing his eyes tightly and digging his nails deeper into his shoulder when he finally was pushed over his edge. He threw his head back as he let out a loud moan, dragging his nails down Derek's back as he came between their stomachs.

Derek came not long after Stiles, thrusting through his own orgasm until his hips stuttered to a stop and he was just standing there, holding Stiles up and panting against Stiles’ skin with his forehead against Stiles’ shoulder. After he’d recovered enough, he bent his knees a little so he could slip himself out. He tilted his torso to the side and rolled over so he could lay beside Stiles.

“Jesus,” he laughed a little, curling up next to him, wrapping his top leg around both of Stiles’ and hooking his ankle behind Stiles’ calves. “All this hot, sweaty, passing-out sex...” he trailed, bumping their noses together as he happily sighed through his nose. “We might need more of it.”

Stiles smiled tiredly, keeping his arms loosely around Derek’s shoulders as he nuzzled against him gently. He carefully rolled them until Derek was on his back so he could rest his head on his chest. He hummed in content as he tried to let the feeling come back to his limbs and slowly wiggled his toes. “I don’t see a problem with this.” Stiles whispered, nuzzling him back before he buried his face in his neck. He slowly closed his eyes, letting out a breathless laugh. “If I can get this well fucked, I don’t really mind getting a lot more. It’s good cardio.”

Derek laughed, rubbing his hand across Stiles’ back, the other occupying the space under his head. “I’m always here to accommodate. I'd do anything to make you happy."

Stiles smiled a little and bumped his head to Derek's “The same goes for you.” He murmured, trying to curl up against him a little more. He made a few light happy noises as he lowered one arm so he could move his arm around his waist and trace his back. “By the way, I love that you apparently get cuddly after sex. Makes me realize I should let you fuck my brains out more often.”

Derek hummed, “Figured I’d save the fuss of cleaning right away and just go straight to cuddling.” he said with a small laugh at the end.

Stiles nodded a little as he yawned. “I really like relaxing with you like this.” He said softly, tucking his head under Derek’s chin.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Derek said, half-yawning through the end, unable to stop himself from mirroring Stiles. He moved his hand to scratch at an itch on his thigh before moving it back to rubbing Stiles’ back.

Stiles hummed softly as his breathing starting to even out. Derek realized he was falling asleep. He smiled a little wider and continued to trace his skin until he fell asleep as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The surprise is this beautiful graphic that one of my best friends made me for this chapter! I was so excited for it!
> 
>  
> 
> [Graphic Here!!](http://melodramaticsalad.tumblr.com/post/144641073328)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for being so late. I really wanted to get this done before HowlerCon, but time wasn't on my side. Then after I finished having guests over, I needed to make sure I had something finished before I could post the fic, along with the next surprise in the end comments!

Stiles awoke to the morning light peeking through the curtains and shining in his face. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, sighing softly before he opened them. Derek was still soundly asleep beside him, on his back with his head turned away from Stiles.

He looked beautiful with the mixture of sunshine and shadows scattered across his bare skin. Stiles looked over his body, feeling the urge to trace his chest with his mouth and fingers. Derek was a work of art. He raised his hand in preparation to trace Derek's clavicle, but quickly stopped when another hand rested on Derek's chest.

Stiles looked up and stared in shock at the sight of the other Stiles smiling at him.

"He looks beautiful, doesn't he?" The other asked, sliding his hand up to rest on Derek's cheek. "So peaceful, so vulnerable. You know...We could end it here. Put your hands around his neck and squeeze until he stops moving. We could escape."

Stiles closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. "No. I don't want that." 

The other hummed a light tune as he danced his fingers across Derek's jaw and down his throat. "Think about it. You keep saying you want to be free."

"I will be free. With Derek."

Stiles watched as he laughed and his eyes lit up with amusement. "We will never be free if we go down this road with him. Why are you so blind? Because you think he loves you?"

"Derek does love me." Stiles replied, scowling at him.

The other giggled and looked to Derek, resting his elbows on the bed and resting his chin on the back of one of his hands. "You also say you love him, and yet you hide so much from him. You hide so much from every single one of them. You're going to cause their deaths, Stiles. And when you do, it will be just you and me. I can't wait for that because you know I'm all you'll ever need."

Stiles shook his head and climbed off the bed, careful not to wake Derek. He cringed when he moved, his thighs feeling sticky from last night. "What do you really want? You keep bringing up freedom and say all these things, but I don't know what you _really_ want. What do you want if you get control?" The other Stiles didn't answer.

Stiles rolled his eyes. He grabbed one of the robes that was hanging on the hook on the bathroom door and pulled it on before fastening it as he walked to the living room. The other Stiles walked backwards in front of him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well?" Stiles asked in an impatient tone.

The other circled the hot tub, pursing his lips together as he pondered his answer. "I want revenge. I want to destroy every single person that did this to you, did this to us. I want them to pay. I'm the unforgiving part of you. I want to make them suffer."

"If that's all you want, then why did you grab my throat when we were at the beach?"

He laughed lightly and shrugged. "I get antsy sometimes, besides, you needed a push. Every time I've given you a push, you've gotten a little better."

"Really? Because I think you just want to alienate me from everyone. You want me to hurt my friends and myself so you can be in control."

"Those are all true things, but think about it, Stiles. Right now you'd be weak on your own, and these other people you surround yourself with will not hesitate to drop you and leave you behind to save themselves. You're better off alone and you only need me."

"They helped me escape." Stiles hissed, dropping down on an arm chair as he watched him continue to pace.

"It's not that impressive. The escape was rigged. Gerard wanted you all to get out. He's still toying with us. We have to kill him."

"I won't fight you on that. We can't take down Eichen with him still breathing, but I'm not going to let you hurt my friends, or Derek."

"Do you really love Derek? You don't even tell him everything. You don't tell him about me, or your little premonitions. What's the point of precognition if you're going to keep it to yourself?"

"I don't hide them from him."

"Keep telling yourself that. You can try to justify it all you want to yourself, but the truth is that you keep your secrets to yourself and you have no problem with hiding things from him. It's because you know deep down that he will hate you. Haven't you realized it yet? The only thing you need in this world is me. I can give you everything you need."

Strikes grit his teeth together as he listened to him speak. "Go away, go away..." He growled, pressing his fingers to his temples and focusing. When he opened his eyes again, the other was gone. 

Stiles sighed and scratched at his head, getting to his feet and heading to the shower. He turned the dials and stepped backed so the water could heat to a perfect temperature. Once it did, he took his robe off and hung it up before entering the shower.

He sighed as the hot water beat down on his shoulders as a gentle massage, tilting his head back and opening his mouth. As water trickled in his mouth, he relaxed and let it overflow down his chin.

He felt calm, almost weightless. The longer he stood there, the less pressure he felt on the balls of his feet. He was weightless, as if he was falling.

Body falling deep in water, feeling weightless. Water surrounding, can hear the bubbles from the impact of hitting the water rise up past him.

He opened his eyes, he can see he's sinking. He felt his lungs tighten; he can't breathe. It's too deep, he's losing air. Stiles quickly swam towards the surface, feeling a sharp pain in his side. He couldn't stop now, no air, can't breathe. He needed to get up, needed to get to the surface. Claw, claw, kick, frantic movements in an attempt to breech the surface. 

His head finally broke through the surface and he could breathe again. He filled his lungs with air and coughed it out when the pain in his side shot up again. Stiles glanced down and felt his heart pound at the sight of crimson pooling around him. He pressed his hand to the wound and hissed out a breath, using the other arm to try and drag himself through the water to get to shore. Stroke by stroke, kick by kick. Eyelids feeling heavy, feeling like he was sinking.

He looked down at the wound and furrowed his eyebrows. That wasn't his hand. Whose hand was that? This wasn't his body. Who was it? Pain shot through his stomach. He was getting colder now. He felt so tired and all he wanted was to close his eyes.

No, he couldn't do that; he couldn't stop. He had to keep moving. He opened his heavy eyes and looked back down for clues, but his vision was blurred. He was too tired, too cold. Who was he? This wasn't his body. He needed to stay awake so he could figure it out. He was drifting away, he couldn't open his eyes anymore. Too heavy, so tired.

"Stiles?"

Stiles opened his eyes and turned his head towards the voice. Derek had the shower door opened, but he looked concerned.

"Are you okay? You were just standing there."

Stiles nodded and motioned for Derek to come in. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little exhausted from last night. Might be a little hungover too from the Glow."

Derek chuckled and shut the door behind him. "I honestly don't doubt that. You had a decent amount."

Stiles nodded and let out a soft sigh as Derek's arms slid around his waist. He eased back against his chest and tried to will the residual tension out of his body. "What's on your mind?" Derek asked, brushing soft kisses over the back of Stiles' shoulder.

"Nothing. So your uncle made it out of the club, right?"

"Braeden and Allison got him out. He didn't stick around when the guns started going off."

"Mm. Smart."

"He's not one to stick around when danger is going on." Derek noted.

"I wish I could have that sense, but we're magnets for danger, so I doubt any attempts to avoid it will actually work." Stiles pointed out as he turned in Derek's arms so he could face him.

Derek nodded and brushed his fingers over the curve of his hip. "You might have a point there."

"I _might?_ " Stiles asked, smiling and raising an eyebrow.

Derek rolled his eyes and ran his fingers up Stiles' sides before he began to tickle him. "Okay, you are right. You're always right."

Stiles laughed and wriggled his way out of Derek's arms before he steadied himself with the bar attached to the shower wall. "I am always right, but that's beside the point! Tickling is super evil by the way."

Derek shrugged in response to his protesting. "It's an easy way to get you to laugh and smile."

Stiles rolled his eyes playfully. "So, anyways, are you going to contact your uncle while we're here or when we get back?"

"We're heading back tonight most likely, just to be safe. I'll get in contact with him then and we'll start discussing plans and ideas with him so we can get started on the next few parts of our main plan."

Stiles nodded in understanding and raised his eyebrows a little. "Are you going to have him tell your family that you're out?"

Derek hadn't really thought about that. He would like to get in contact with his family, but he knew that it was still too dangerous. "I don't know. If I do, they'll want to help and I don't want to risk putting them in danger."

"Fair enough."

Derek remembered what Braeden told him about Stiles' dad helping out the group as best as he could. He still hadn't told Stiles about that and he wondered if Stiles' dad knew. Probably not, but he didn't know what would happen if either of them knew.

"What about you? Would you contact your family?" He asked instead. Stiles shook his head.

"It's not safe right now. Not just with Eichen after us, but I'm not safe right now. I don't want to risk hurting them. I don't want my family to realize I'm a monster. Not just because it will hurt for me to see that, but because I don't want them to blame themselves even more for what happened. They didn't know that they would take over and essentially make me into this."

"You're still not a monster." Stiles sighed and shook his head at Derek's words.

"There's so much you don't know, so much I don't understand. I don't even know most of it and it's my body."

Derek pursed his lips together and dropped it for now. He didn't like the final part of his thinking, but he could understand that point. It would be bad enough to know everything that went on, but to have no idea why Eichen did this or what they wanted? Derek still didn't fully understand why he was taken, just that he was supposed to keep Stiles safe and sane.

 

\---------------- 

Back at the safe house, Lydia was in the attached bathroom in her room, focusing on clearing her head with a nice, long, hot shower. She sighed in relief when the hot water hit her shoulders and she could feel the tension start to ebb away.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, facing away from the shower head so it could trickle down her back. She opened her eyes when the water started to chill and her body felt heavy before gasping out. How did she end up in a lake? This wasn't real. So why did pain shoot through her stomach? She cringed as she pressed a hand to her side and struggled to get to safety. Why did she feel so tired? She lowered her head and furrowed her eyebrows at the hair that clung to her shoulders. That wasn't her hair. 

This wasn't her body.

"Lydia." She gasped at the whispered voice, opening her eyes and looking past the fogged up, cloudy glass of the shower doors. She furrowed her eyebrows at the sight of a figure, their hand reaching out towards her. It brushed against the glass and left a handprint before sliding down the glass and pulling away.

Lydia stared at the hand before looking back up at the figure and squinting to see better. "Stiles?" She asked, frowning and pulling the glass door open just enough for her to poke her head out. The room was empty. 

Lydia frowned and shut the door again, shaking her head and closing her eyes again so she could try to focus on the water. She was probably just tired, but she couldn't shake that vision out of her head. Why did it appear in her mind? Who was it?

Lydia sighed as she began to shampoo her hair, massaging her scalp and soaping it up as she tried to shake off the uneasy feeling creeping through her body. She opened her eyes as she lowered her soapy hands, looking down at them and crying out in fear. Her hands were red with blood.

Everything was red. 

The water coming out of the shower head ran red and thick, covering everything with its dark color. Lydia gagged and covered her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"You saw the vision, Lydia. Figure out who it is." Stiles' voice started again.

"I don't know who it is." She stated, her voice coming out as a shaky whisper.

She jumped when a hand slammed against the glass. "You know who it is! Think, Lydia! Think! You know who is in the water! Tell me!" Stiles snapped at her.

Lydia closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms protectively around herself. This wasn't real. None of it was.

"Lydia!" She jumped again when he shouted and slammed his hands on the door to get her attention. "Figure it out, Lydia! You need to think about it! Who is it? Answer me!"

"You're not Stiles!" She shouted back at him. "Get out of here! Leave me alone!"

Chills shot down her spine when she felt cold lips brush against her ear. "One of your friends is going to die if you don't figure it out, Lydia." He whispered in a harsh voice.

Lydia swallowed hard and opened her eyes again, letting out a shaky breath when she realized that everything was normal once again and she was all alone. What the hell was that?

She stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself and checking the door. It was still locked, so there was definitely no way someone could have come in or out of the bathroom. She crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to stop her shaking, glancing back at the shower door where not even the handprints remained.

\----------------

Several hours after Derek and Stiles finished their shower, they were pulling back up the driveway of the safe house. Stiles slept almost the entire way since he mentioned that he was exhausted from the previous night. Derek kept his music on low volume to fill the silence and glanced over every now and again to where Stiles was curled up in the reclined passenger's seat.

Once he parked outside the house, he reached over to lightly shake him awake. Stiles let out a soft groan of protest and tried to bat Derek's hand away.

"Stiles, we made it back." Derek spoke in a soft voice. Stiles sighed and lifted a hand to rub his eyes.

"We're back?" He murmured sleepily.

Derek nodded in response and helped him sit up. Stiles let out a sigh and climbed out of the car before he leaned against it while Derek got out and wandered around. When he got to Stiles' side, he wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close, kissing his head softly.

Stiles leaned against him and looked up to him, opening his mouth to speak. He quickly went rigid at the sound of a loud bang and gripped Derek's shirt.

_Whose body was it?_

The sensation was dizzying and Stiles could feel his mouth start to pool with saliva. He felt like he was going to throw up if everything around him didn't stop spinning.

"Stiles?" Derek asked in concern.

Stiles pushed away from Derek, holding his stomach and rushing over to the nearby bushes. Derek cringed in sympathy at the sound of Stiles' gagging and vomiting, heading over to lightly rub his back as a source of comfort.

Stiles groaned and coughed before he could finally breath, standing upright again and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"We'll get you water when we're inside." Derek said in a soft voice, looking him over. There was no way that this was from a normal hangover. Something had to be up.

Stiles nodded and sighed through his nose as he closed his eyes. He let Derek lead him upstairs to their bedroom and climbed into bed once they were there.

"I'm going to talk with some of the others for a little while, will you be fine up here?" Derek asked, pulling the blankets over Stiles.

Stiles shrugged and closed his eyes. "I just need to stay close to the bathroom, just in case."

Derek leaned over to press a kiss to his temple. "I'll be up soon to check on you."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Derek crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at his stubbornness. "This isn't a normal hangover."

Stiles opened his eyes and stared straight ahead. "It's not."

"Then what is it?" Stiles sighed and sat up, crossing his arms over his chest and glancing over to Derek.

"It's nothing." Derek clenched his teeth together at his answer and lowered his hands.

"Obviously it's something if it's making you throw up. Is it one of those headaches again? Is it from the injection?"

Stiles shrugged and scratched at the back of his neck. "It'll fade."

Derek shook his head and loosened his fists when he felt his nails biting into his palms. "I'm not going to force you to talk to me when you obviously don't want to, but your health is very important and you can't just continue to sweep these problems under the rug and pretend that everything is okay. If you're ever ready to talk, I'll be here. Just don't pretend that you're trying to avoid making me worry." He stated before leaving the room.

He hated being left in the dark and he honestly thought they were getting past that point. He thought that Stiles would open up to him more by now, but it looked like he was wrong.

He didn't hear a sound of argument as he stormed down the hall, didn't even hear Stiles get up. The sounds of his footsteps only seemed to get louder with the pounding of his blood in his ears. He didn't quite know what to think right now.

Derek did everything he could to protect Stiles, and yet Stiles kept everything to himself. He figured it was because that was the only thing Stiles really knew how to do, that he didn't know how to rely on others when he had been alone for so long. That didn't make it hurt any less.

He found Braeden in the office with Allison and Chris, most likely discussing the events of their mission.

"One of the bouncers worked for Eichen and he let the guards know where we were." Braeden told Chris and gave Derek a brief glance when he walked in.

"Do we know if Nova was an Eichen based club?" Derek asked.

Allison shook her head. "No, I can tell you for a fact that it's not. Nova is A's club." Derek raised his eyebrows at the mention of the odd young man they had gotten the cars from.

"And there is no possibility that he didn't let them know?" He asked, just to be sure.

Allison scowled at his words and tilted her chin up as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I've known him since I was a child, he would never give us to them. He hates them more than you do, more than even we do. His club is registered under an alias. Someone must have slipped in through the cracks since it's a popular club with a lot of traffic for informants."

Derek sighed out and nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to figure it all out and look at every angle."

"I can understand that, I just don't see him being the one to let guards through willingly. I'm going to call him and let him know." She replied.

"Tell him if things go south and Eichen starts to get closer to him, he can come here." Chris piped up.

Allison gave a nod and left the room so the three of them could continue their discussion.

"So, you found your uncle?" Chris asked, turning to face Derek.

"Yes. Braeden and Allison managed to get him out of the club during the shooting. He's agreed to work with us in taking down Gerard. He didn't give me much information at the club, but that's because he was being cautious in case Eichen spies were near. He was right, but I don't think it will stop him from working with us."

"I gave him numbers he could contact us at once the club was clear. So I'm sure he will get in touch with us once he figures it's safe enough." Braeden replied.

"He's welcome to come here. We don't know if the Eichen informant was solely after Stiles or if he knew who were meeting with. If they figure out that Peter is going to supply us with information and assistance, they're likely to take him out."

Derek nodded in agreement. "I'll try to contact him and see what I can do." As he left the room, Braeden followed him out.

"I talked to Stilinski this morning. He wanted to check in on our progress and see if we found anything about his son. He still doesn't know about you, or Stiles. Should I tell him that you got out? He'll want to talk to you about the things you saw."

Derek mulled it over before sighing. "I think I'd be able to talk to him, but at the same time, I don't want to lie to him."

"It would definitely be hard since you see his son every day." Braeden noted.

"Exactly. He doesn't even know if his son is alive or dead at this point, and Stiles doesn't want to put his parents in danger."

"Even if Eichen wasn't a looming threat, Stiles would be." Braeden rolled her eyes when Derek scowled at her before she continued. "He may be your boyfriend, but you can't deny that he can be dangerous. His fugue states make him volatile and he's already hurt people. It's very likely that if he saw his parents right now, he'd hurt them. Which makes it even more of a difficult decision because on one hand you have to let John believe that Eichen still has his son trapped somewhere, or that his son is out but he's not allowed to see him until it's safe."

"For now, telling him about Stiles isn't my decision to make. He's already said no. Until Stiles decides he can talk to him, I don't know if it will be okay for me to, because I don't want to have to lie to him. Regardless of whatever he chooses, John deserves better than for me to lie to him."

Braeden nodded and put her hands in her jacket pocket. "Here's another scenario, just a worst case one. What if Eichen takes Stiles and kills him? Would you tell John the truth?"

"Okay, what is with you?" Derek asked in disbelief. "You really want me to think about Stiles getting killed?"

"Sorry, I just wanted to know your thoughts on the matter."

"I'm not answering this."

"You're right, that's too far. I'm sorry." Braeden sighed out. "I still don't know what to think of him. Like how much control does Eichen have over him? We have no idea. Some things don't add up either. Like Kate hunting us down, only to inject some serum in Stiles? Why wouldn't she just grab him and take him while everyone was busy? She wants him out, and wants him to do something."

"You're telling me things I've already thought about. We don't have the answers right now, and I get how frustrating that is, trust me, she was _my_ fiancé for God's sake. She managed to fool all of us."

Braeden's face softened a little. "I'm sorry, Derek."

"I get that you're trying to find answers, but you're asking questions that either I cannot answer or I shouldn't. I'm angry too. I'm the one that has to see every day what is happening to Stiles. He won't even fucking talk to me about any of it and leaves me in the dark no matter how many times I try to get him to open up to me. With all this going on right now, being second guessed doesn't feel good. I'm trying my best to protect him and help all of us, that's all I can do."

"You're right, I'm being hard on you both, but it's not because I don't have faith in you and trust you. I'm just trying to avoid any way that Eichen can get an upper hand."

"Maybe you should stop seeing Stiles as a threat then." Malia piped up, turning the corner with Kira close behind her. Malia had her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face. "You keep thinking about it like he's on Eichen's side, like he's just waiting for a chance to attack us. Instead of seeing him as a liability, maybe you should try to see him as an ally and an asset. If you're so worried about his weapon, teach him how to use it instead of turning Derek against him or into his caretaker. He's a little more than a glorified bodyguard and Stiles is much more than some double agent, or whatever you believe he is. Out of the three of you, I trust him the most. He at least understands." She stated unapologetically before pushing between them and heading down the hall.

Kira on the other hand looked more apologetic. "I'm sorry, she's just really sensitive when it comes to anything about Eichen. She and Stiles connect because they both know what it's like to be there for a long time." She murmured before she sighed and followed after Malia.

Braeden let out a sigh and shook her head. "And now there's a small rift in the group, but she's right. I guess I do keep seeing him as a liability. Sorry, you are doing a good job at working with him and helping him."

Derek nodded slowly and sighed. "Once again, it's okay to be unsure, but we're questioning the wrong person here. Stiles is a victim of Eichen. He's more of a victim than most of us in this house. He's grown up inside of a lab. Even if they didn't put things in him, he'd still need time to get adjusted to everything."

Braeden nodded and walked away, leaving Derek alone. Derek sighed and scratched at his scruff, closing his eyes for a moment. This was going to be hard. He was still frustrated, hell, even a little more agitated than he was moments before, but he needed to focus and get stuff done.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and fished it out, looking to the screen. He had a text message.

_'Got a new phone to use when I contact you. I can meet with you today and start discussing things with you in more detail. - Alpha'_

Derek rolled his eyes at the nickname and knew it was for sure his uncle. Peter always had a strange interest in the hierarchy of wolves. He always believed himself to be an alpha stuck in the role of an omega. Derek just always took it as him being a control freak that wanted more power.

He sent the coordinates of their location in response and locked his phone again so he could put it back in his pocket. He decided to try going to the training room to work off some of his agitation, but he paused in his walking when he passed by the living room.

Stiles and Lydia were seated on the couches and talking.

Lydia had a mug in her hands, brushing her thumb over the red ceramic as she stared down at the steaming liquid inside. "It was really weird...I still don't remember all of it, but I think you were there. It wasn't really you though, it was a more volatile version of you."

Stiles tensed and bounced his leg in thought. "What did he say to you?"

Lydia cocked her head, frowning and shaking her head. "He wanted me to figure something out. He was getting really angry."

Stiles scratched at the back of his neck. "Do you know what he wanted you to figure out?"

"I can't really remember it." Lydia sighed and rubbed her temple. "I think someone got hurt in the dream, but I don't know who it was. I just remember that it was like being in someone else's body."

Stiles looked really confused. "That's so weird, I had a dream like that this morning. I remember falling, and being in water, and being hurt, but it was like...It wasn't my body. And then I snapped out of it and I was back in the shower."

Derek frowned at that. So that was another thing that Stiles hid from him. He'd asked if Stiles was okay and got nothing in response. He sighed as he placed a hand over his chest at the pang of jealousy and sadness hitting him. They were supposed to be bound together and yet Stiles wouldn't even tell him small things like this. Things he seemed to have no problems telling other people.

Derek clenched his jaw tight and kept walking, gripping his shirt above his heart. This was ridiculous.

\----------------

Derek spent most of the next few hours taking inventory or picking up whatever task he could to keep himself busy. While he was writing down the amount of ammunition they had, he heard a gentle tap on the doorway. He looked up briefly before looking away when he saw it was Stiles.

"Hey." Stiles said softly, slowly entering the room. "I wanted to talk about earlier." When Derek didn't say anything, Stiles kept talking. "I just wanted to say that you're right. It's not fair to you that I kept hiding things from you and that I didn't tell you. I guess I thought they weren't that important since I'm used to these flashes happening. But I can see it from your point of view too. In my mind, I see you worrying about so much and doing so much for everyone, that I don't want to worry you with my trivial dreams and visions. But you're right, not talking to you just makes you worry more and it probably feels like I'm hiding things from you. I'm sorry to make you feel that way. I'll talk to you."

Derek was happy to see that Stiles had at least thought about everything but still didn't say anything. He waited patiently for Stiles to talk.

Stiles shifted on his feet as he tried to think of how to word it. "I think someone is going to get hurt."

"Is is about that dream you were telling Lydia about?" Stiles eyes widened in surprise before he nodded.

"I don't know who it is yet, but I think something is going to happen and someone is going to get hurt by the lake. That cliff on the end that oversees it? Someone might fall in."

"Do you know if someone pushes them?"

Stiles shook his head. "I don't know, but they're hurt when they fall. I remember seeing a lot of red."

Derek frowned and tapped his pen on the table. "It could be another attack coming."

Stiles shrugged. "It could be."

"Thank you for telling me this much. Is there anything else that you can think of that you'd like to talk about?"

Stiles chewed at his thumbnail and frowned as he debated. He soon shook his head and lowered his hand. "Not right now, if that's okay. I'm not ready to talk about it just yet."

Derek nodded and set the pen down so he could kiss Stiles' head to comfort him. "That's fine. You'll talk to me whenever you're ready, right?"

Stiles nodded and held his pinky out to Derek. "I promise." Derek shook his head but hooked his finger around Stiles'.

"Alright, that's all I ask."

Stiles nodded and scratched at the back of his neck once he pulled his hand away. "I know. I'm sorry I've been really difficult."

Derek shrugged and sat down again. "We're all difficult at some point."

Stiles snorted lightly at that and gave him a crooked grin. "I'll try not to be the bane of your existence."

Derek gave a roll of his eyes. "I think I like you too much for that to be a thing."

"Well thank God for small miracles. Sometimes anxiety kicks in and I worry that you only put up with me because we're in the same boat." Derek stared at Stiles in shock but before he could open his mouth, Stiles seemed to realize what he said and rushed down the hall.

Derek rose to his feet and chased after him. There was no way in hell he was going to let their conversation end with that. "Stiles, stop!"

Stiles groaned and turned around instead of turning the corner, crossing his arms and staring at his feet so he didn't have to look at Derek. "No, Stiles, I need you to look at me." Derek stated, reaching out to Stiles. Stiles frowned and leaned back against the wall so Derek brushed his fingers against his jaw and lightly tilted his chin up. 

"Stiles, look at me." He said in a softer voice when he still refused. Stiles sighed and swallowed hard but finally looked to him. "Why would you say that?"

Stiles shrugged and had to look away from Derek again. "Because it's my fault. All of this is my fault. You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me, so I just...I get worried that you blame me and hate me deep down because I'm the reason your life was ruined. And then I think of the bond and when I do, it makes me feel terrified that you just put up with me because you have no choice."

The vulnerability, sorrow, and fear on Stiles' face tugged at Derek's heart. Sometimes he forgot just how much the poor boy in front of him seemed to hate himself. "Stiles, I can't possibly hate you. You may see yourself as a monster, but I see something else. I see a bright young man that does his best to help his friends. I see someone that fights every day and has fought for a long time. I see someone who hasn't given up despite how much he's been through. Stiles, I don't give a fuck about the bond. There's only so much it can do, and I know my emotions are real. All it did was make me feel protective of you. My feels are my own." Derek replied, letting go of Stiles' chin so he could cup his face.

"Stiles, being put in Eichen, getting fucked around by Gerard and Kate, the bond, none of that fucking matters." He stated, sighing and swallowing the knot in his throat. "None of it matters to me because I-"

"Ah, Derek! There you are. I've been looking for you." Derek actually growled and glared at his uncle for cutting him off. Of all the fucking moments.

Peter seemed unfazed by the glare and walked over to the two of them as Derek lowered his hand from Stiles' face. "Again with the sour looks? I thought you'd be happier. We can finally have a conversation without someone who shouldn't listening in." He stated before looking to Stiles and doing a double take. He smiled wider and pushed Derek away so he could get a better look at Stiles. "You've grown up a lot, Stiles. I'm glad to see that you've finally gotten out of that place. Do you remember me?"

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he looked Peter over. "No, sorry."

"Hm, figured as much. That's no problem, it was only a few brief meetings anyways and you were a lot younger." Peter replied with a shrugged. "Gerard liked keeping you under close watch anyways."

"We should talk." Derek stated, crossing his arms over his chest and stepping in front of Stiles so he could be between him and Peter.

"Later, nephew. We'll have time to discuss whatever your little heart wants later. You've always been one to jump the gun after all." Derek rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Don't give me that look. I thought you might also like to know that your family is fine. Your parents have been trying to fight how you were taken."

Derek's face softened at the mention of his parents and his sisters. "Do they know?"

"I've kept it quiet."

"Thanks. I don't want them put in danger."

"I know, and you know my sister. She will always handle herself well but they would throw themselves in danger if it meant potentially helping you. Although, if Eichen chooses to mess with your mother and father, I know they won't make it easy. I've already smoothed it over for them so Eichen isn't trailing them at the very least. When I heard of your escape, I was questioned and I told them the last thing you'd do was run home to your family. That answer seemed to suffice for now."

Derek nodded and felt relieved that he didn't have to worry about his family being interrogated about his location. That was one good thing to come out of this so far.

"As for you," Peter lightly pushed Derek out of the way again so he could talk to Stiles. "I was watching some of the records again, and there's something that's always had me curious."

Stiles raised his eyebrows and stared at Peter. "And what would that be?"

"When you first called out Derek's name, during their experiment, you said something. You screamed his name, and then began to say something. 'Don't let her kill him.' Do you know what you meant?" Derek remembered the video of that and wondered that as well.

Stiles didn't take his eyes off Peter and nodded. "If Derek didn't work out the way Kate wanted, she would have killed him. She would have had an engagement dinner with the entire family where she would drug you all. She would have would have burned the place to the ground with you all inside."

Derek felt chills run down his spine at the answer. Kate would have murdered his entire family?

"When did you happen to remember this?" Peter asked with raised eyebrows.

"When I first saw Derek. That's how I knew who he was. I saw flashes of the fire, heard the screams of what might have happened."

Derek let out a shaky breath and turned to Stiles. "You told me you just had a feeling about me."

"I wasn't lying then, but there was no way I could have told you that. How could I have told you that you might have died? Like everything else, it would have been my fault." Stiles' voice was just barely above a whisper by the time he finished talking. He soon sighed and shook his head before smiling. "There's one good thing to come out of this though."

Derek raised his eyebrows at the change in Stiles. "What?"

Stiles raised his arm and pointed at Peter. "He's going to kill Kate." He smiled wider before walking away.

Derek stared after him in shock as he tried to process everything that he had just said. He shook his head and looked to Peter, raising his eyebrows. "Are we going to start talking about what you know, tonight?"

Peter thought about it and shook his head. "After that, no. It doesn't seem like a right time to talk about everything right now. You just learned something fairly big."

Derek nodded and walked away without another word so he could process his thoughts and the information from Stiles.

 

\----------------

 

Stiles stayed in his room to think about what he had told Derek. It felt heavy on his chest to discuss it for the first time, it felt better that he was able to talk about it. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard as he tried not to think too much. He felt like a freak again. Every single aspect of his continued existence only put Derek in danger.

What kind of love was that? Maybe the other Stiles was right about one thing. It was safer for everyone if Stiles was alone.

Stiles was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. "Yeah?" He asked after clearing his throat.

Scott opened the door and smiled widely at him. "Come on, we're going to have a bonfire! It's gonna be awesome, the weather is perfect for it."

Stiles smiled at his friend's excitement and nodded as he got to his feet. "It could be fun."

"That's right, it'll be your first bonfire, won't it? We'll definitely have to make it worthwhile then." 

Stiles laughed as he followed Scott. "I have faith in you." He replied before his smile fades and he sighed. "Listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

Scott looked confused by the statement and shook his head. "Don't be. I missed my best friend and you deserved to be out. I'm with you until the end."

Stiles gave a slow nod but didn't say anything else. Apparently the others had set everything up while Stiles was upstairs because Scott led him right into the forest.

"We wanted to make it a surprise for you, since we figured you could probably use some fun right now." 

Stiles nodded and gave a light snort. "Pretty sure we could all use some fun right now." He replied, watching the light of the fire in the distance.

"That's very true." Scott laughed, shaking his head.

By the time they made it to the fire, everything was set up and everyone was enjoying themselves around the fire by drinking, talking, or dancing to music.

Stiles looked around the bonfire, smiling and taking a swig of his beer as he watched everyone have fun from where he sat. He was more than a little thankful that they got to have fun again and enjoy themselves. The smiles on his friends' faces were what made this whole thing worthwhile. The only thing Stiles wanted was for his friends to be happy again. 

He watched as the flames flickered and seemed to dance along to the music, casting a glow on everyone's bodies and enhancing the shadows around them.

Stiles noticed something out of the corner of his eye and glanced over, frowning when he saw the other Stiles watching him. The other Stiles smiled and looked to the flames of the fire. Stiles glanced at the fire before he looked back and frowned. His other self was gone.

"Hey, Stiles, Scott brought back some glow. Do you want to try it again?" Lydia asked, holding a one ounce bottle of glowing translucent liquid.

Stiles nodded quickly. "Yeah, sure." He replied, figuring that it would be best to help take his mind off of everything. Lydia nodded and motioning for him to tilt his head back. Stiles did, keeping his eyes open so she could put a few drops in each eye. He felt the excess liquid trickle to the corner of his eyes and let it drip down his face as he closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, Lydia was in front of him, smiling widely. Stiles furrowed his eyebrows at what was in her hand. It wasn't an eye dropper anymore, it was a syringe with a thick, long needle. The syringe was filled with thick, red liquid that almost looked like...Stiles brushed his fingers against his cheek when he felt the liquid continue to trickle down his face. He glanced at his fingers before closing his eyes tightly.

"Stiles? What's wrong?" Lydia asked, setting the bottle down and placing her hands on his shoulders.

Stiles shook his head and swallowed hard as he opened his eyes again. He looked at his fingers again and sighed in relief at the sight of clear liquid.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Stiles sighed and wiped his hand on his pants.

"Trick of the light." He replied simply, raising his bottle to his lips and taking a swig of his beer. He paused and swished the liquid in his mouth when it tasted off. The coppery taste felt thick and heavy on his tongue. He wiped at his mouth and saw red again.

He spat the liquid to the ground and started the shake. What was going on? Was his other self doing this? He looked around for him but only saw his friends continuing to dance. The more he looked, the more wrong it seemed. Their bodies seemed to twist at odd angles, their arms turned in wrong ways. It was a trick of the light, it had to be.

"What's wrong?" Stiles turned to Scott and cried out, jumping out of his chair and scrambling to his feet. Scott's features had become twisted and deformed; it looked like his face was melting.

Stiles looked desperately around the fire and let out a shaky breath. Everyone had stopped dancing, they were all watching him instead as their faces began to melt. "Stiles? What's wrong?" Malia asked, stepping closer to him. Stiles lifted his hands to his ears. Her voice sounded so wrong.

His heart pounded harder and harder in his chest as questions of concern began to repeat and overlap each other. It was too much. Too much. The voices began to muffle into dulled vibrations that pounded in his head and made him feel nauseous.

"They all look like monsters to you right now, don't they? It's too loud here. Their questions hurt, right?" He heard his other self ask. He looked up and saw him standing between the fuzzy figures, the only thing that looked and sounded clear.

Stiles nodded, exhaling shakily as he tried to ignore the pounding. The other Stiles smiled and reached out to him. "I can take you where it's quiet. I'll help you."

Stiles reached out to him in desperation, just wanting the noise to go away. He just wanted everything to go back to normal, he didn't want to see these terrifying things.

Before he could take a step closer, something grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him down into the ash and dirt. When he tried to push himself up, sharp teeth sank into his shoulder and he screamed out in pain.

When it let go and climbed off of him, he gasped and pushed himself up on his elbow, reaching to the others and begging for help. As one of the figures reached out to help him, hands grabbed his ankles in a bruising grip and pulled him screaming into the darkness.

 

The sounds of his ringtone repeating over and over again finally brought Scott out of his peaceful dream. With one hand, he rubbed his eyes while the other reached and pat blindly at the end table until he found it. "Hello?" He asked in a rough voice.

"Scott?" It was Stiles. He sounded terrified.

Scott sat up straighter and frowned. "What's going on? Where are you?" Why would Stiles be calling him?

"I-I don't know, I don't know. I-I was at the bonfire with everyone and something took me away." Bonfire?

"Wait, what bonfire? Hang on, I'm going to go get Derek."

"No, no, no, don't get Derek. He already worries about me too much, please don't get him. I know you can find me, please, please...Don't get him. Promise me you won't."

"What if I can't find you, Stiles? He needs to know. I can't do this alone."

Stiles whimpered on the other end. "Please, I know you can do this, it's so cold...It hurts. I think I'm hurt." Scott closed his eyes tightly and tried to figure out what to do. He swallowed hard and slipped his shoes on before heading out into the hall.

"Hang on, I'll find you. Just hold on, okay?"

"O-Oh no, I-I have to go. I have to hang up now."

"What, Stiles, no, stay with me. Don't hang up."

"I'm sorry, I have to go." Stiles whispered before ending the call.

Scott cursed loudly, forgetting that it was nearly two in the morning. He cursed again, more quietly this time, when one of the doors opened and Lydia came out of the room.

"What are you doing? What's going on?"

"What about you? What are you doing up?" Scott asked, pocketing his phone and leaning against the wall to adjust his shoes so they would fit properly.

"I can't fall back asleep. I just feel like something is really wrong. Tell me what's going on."

Scott sighed and rubbed at his cheek. "I don't know, Stiles just called me. I think he slept walked and got lost. He says he's hurt."

Lydia's eyes widened at his words. "I'm getting Derek."

"No, don't. He made me promise not to get Derek." Scott protested.

Lydia sighed and raised her eyebrows. "Exactly. He made _you_ promise." She stated in a stubborn tone before heading off.

Within fifteen minutes, the entire house was awake and separating into teams. The plan was to have each team, groups of two or three, take a certain part of the woods and always be within yelling distance of each other until they either found Stiles or went through every foot of the forest. They were also using their walkie talkies to quickly notify each other if anyone found anything.

Peter, of course, stayed back at the house, on the off chance that Stiles would stroll back inside in a daze.

Derek and the others didn't have time to argue, they just wanted to find Stiles.

Scott walked a few yards away from Isaac to add more of a line of vision between the two of them, shining his flashlight back and forth over the ground ahead of him. He crossed one of his arms over his chest as they walked, realizing that it was chilly out tonight. He'd wished he had grabbed a jacket like Isaac. He couldn't imagine how long Stiles had been out here if he had said that he was really cold.

He heard a rustle and looked back, shining his light behind him. Nothing.

Scott felt a cold breeze against his ear and shuddered before he heard a voice. "Come find me, please." Stiles' voice whimpered to him.

Scott whirled around and illuminated his flashlight everywhere he could reach.

"Scott, what's wrong?" Isaac asked, walking over to him.

Scott shook his head and frowned. "I could have sworn I heard something. You didn't hear anything?"

"No, I just saw you getting frantic." Isaac stated, keeping one of his hands in his pocket. He had a frown on his face as he looked around for anything that could help.

He soon lowered his flashlight before his eyes widened. "Hey, Scott, don't those look like footsteps to you?" He asked, keeping his light down on them as he looked to Scott.

"Yeah, those do. He probably came through this way." Scott replied in a hopeful voice.

While Isaac kept his gaze down, Scott looked around, calling Stiles' name out. He didn't get any response, but he felt a tugging feeling nagging at him. The more they followed the prints, the more it felt like they were getting closer.

"There!" He soon exclaimed, pointing forwards and shining his light towards the small clearing. Off in the distance, there was a body curled up on the ground.

Scott rushed over and motioned for Isaac to take his jacket off, wrapping it around Stiles in an attempt to give him some warmth.

 

Across the forest, the deeper Derek got into the woods, the more frantic and frustrated he felt. He still hadn't heard anything from the others and it worried him. How far could Stiles have gotten? It reminded him of the first time he had to track Stiles down when they had escaped. The thought ended up worrying him more. What if this time, Stiles had fallen and gotten hurt? What if he made it to the lake and drowned? Thousands of disastrous scenarios played in Derek's head and only agitated him further. He soon growled and stopped walking, punching at a thick tree until his knuckles were raw.

"Hey, hey, don't do that. It's okay, we're going to find him. You're just going to hurt yourself." Chris stated.

Derek grit his teeth from the pain and shook his head. "I don't care. I just want to know where the fuck he is." He growled out.

"I know you do, and we'll find him. He couldn't have gotten far."

"He did get far! Why hasn't anyone found him yet?" Derek snapped at him, slamming his fist against the tree.

"I don't know but this isn't helping! You're only hurting yourself, Derek."

"I don't fucking care. I need to find him before someone takes him." Derek stated, pushing away from the tree and clenching his fist as he felt droplets of blood trickle from his knuckles. He began walking fast, every fibre of his being pushing him into a frantic hunt for Stiles. He let out a soft pant as he searched hard, trying to calm his thoughts so he could focus more, but every irrational part of himself whispered over and over again that Stiles was potentially in danger.

He yelled in frustration and pulled back his fist, ready to hit another tree, but the sound of the walkie talkie filled the silence.

_"We found him, we found Stiles. We're almost back to the house."_

Derek lowered his bloody fist at the sound of Isaac's voice and turned back towards the house. He broke out in a run, desperate to get back to Stiles as fast as he possibly could. By the time he reached the house, his lungs felt like they were on fire. His heart pounded wildly in his chest and he doubled over as he tried to catch his breath.

He pushed himself back upright again and entered the house, finding Scott and Isaac in the living room as Deaton examined and cleaned a sleeping Stiles up. Stiles' hands and bare feet were covered in ash.

"And you're sure he was out there alone?" Deaton asked curiously, glancing at Scott.

"As far as I know, there was only one set of footprints and he was in the clearing by himself. Why?"

Deaton carefully moved Stiles' shirt to bare part of his shoulder. On Stiles' skin, there was a deep bite mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally was able to do it! I made a trailer for the fic! Just a friendly reminder, since it's all about Stiles' feelings and visions, nothing is actually a spoiler ;)
> 
> You can watch the video [here!](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AbDxB8se5nI)


	18. Chapter 18

Deaton cleaned the wound on Stiles' shoulder before he let Derek take him upstairs to get him in bed and warm him up to prevent him from getting sick. No one really knew just how long he'd been out there.

Scott had mentioned that Stiles told him he was at a bonfire with his friends. Derek looked Stiles' sleeping face over as he set him down on the bed with the intent to change his clothes. He sighed and kissed his forehead before turning away to take off his jacket and shoes.

As he grabbed Stiles a change of clothes, he felt as if he was being watched and looked back to Stiles, meeting an icy stare. Derek furrowed his eyebrows at the look. "Stiles? What's wrong? Are you okay?" 

Stiles blinked slowly a few times before his expression softened and he nodded, closing his eyes again. "What happened?" He whispered.

"You were sleepwalking. Are you feeling any soreness right now?"

"No. I'm just tired."

Derek nodded and went over to the bed, with the change of clothes in hand. "Sit up for me." Stiles sat up and sighed, pulling his shirt off and keeping his arms up. Derek looked over the bite on his shoulder before noticing scrapes and forming bruises on his chest. He didn't really believe that Stiles was out there completely alone, but other than the bite, there was no other proof. 

Stiles scooted closer to him and wrapped his fingers around the hem of Derek's shirt. Derek pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and brushed his fingers down his back. He focused on the tender touches, soothing Stiles little by little as he relaxed himself.

When Derek opened his eyes again, Stiles wasn't in bed. He blinked slowly a few times before rubbing his eyes and sitting up. By the sounds of it, Stiles was taking a shower.

Derek climbed out of bed and followed the sound, wanting to check for himself that Stiles was okay. Stiles sang softly to himself and shampooed his hair before turning his head towards the door. "Derek?"

"Yeah, it's me." Derek replied in a rough voice. He could hear Stiles chuckle in response.

"You can come in if you want, I figure it would be a nice way for you to wake up. Or it'll relax you even more and you'll fall asleep again. Whatever works, really." Stiles snorted in amusement.

Derek liked the suggestion and stripped out of his clothes before he set them on the sink. Once he was in the shower, he sighed at the feeling of the warm water and slid his arms around Stiles' waist. He buried his face in his neck and let out a light sigh in content. 

Stiles smiled and ran his hands over the back of his hands. "How'd you sleep?" He asked Derek as he leaned back against his chest.

Derek shrugged. "It feels like it went by too fast." He replied.

Stiles nodded. "Maybe you can fall asleep again after our shower." 

"Maybe."

Stiles hummed a soft response and closed his eyes. Derek relaxed and listened to the hot water steadily fall from the shower head as they both stayed quiet.

"I need to talk to you about something." Stiles finally broke the soothing silence, turning in his arms so he could face Derek.

Derek brushed his fingers over the curve of his spine and waited for him to speak. Stiles smiled and let out a light laugh before shaking his head. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just trying to think of what to say and how to word it."

"Take your time." Derek replied, wondering what he could be thinking about.

"Do you have any plans for when you're finished with Eichen? Are you going home?"

"Yeah, I think once everything is all clear, I'll go back to my family. I think they'd really like you."

Stiles laughed and lifted a hand to cover his mouth with the back of it. "You still think we'll have a happy ending?"

Derek frowned at the pessimistic response. He wasn't expecting Stiles to act like that. "Why wouldn't I? We've already come so far."

Stiles raised his eyebrows. "All we've done is escape. We're still pawns in their game. Kate was just fucking with us when she found us. We've made very little progress. I suppose the evidence you got from the archive will help a little, but other than that, we've just run around with a very vague goal. You're going to get Stiles killed."

Derek had been trying to formulate a response as Stiles continued talking, but his final sentence brought his thoughts to an abrupt halt. "I'm going to get _Stiles_ killed? Since when do you refer to yourself in the third person?" He didn't understand the sudden illeism.

Stiles' eyes briefly widened in surprise before he grinned. "Oh right. You still don't know about me. I guess that means I can finally introduce myself. I'm a part of Stiles. I have been for a while, he just forgot about me." Stiles rolled his eyes before carrying on. "That's not important right now though, what's important is that you have Stiles' focus and that means I really, really don't like you."

He placed his hands on Derek's arms and shoved him up against the wall. His smile had faded and his eyes clouded with anger. "You're just like the others. You're going to abandon Stiles to save your own skin. You give him false hope, when all he needs is to focus on taking Gerard down. He doesn't fucking need you. _We_ don't need you."

Derek glared back at Stiles. "He does need me. That's the whole reason of why I was involved in the first place."

Stiles laughed and shook his head. "You're a mistake. All he needs is me. He'll realize that soon, and we won't have a use for you anymore. You can call me possessive, but after everything I've done, he owes me."

"The only one Stiles doesn't need is you." Derek stated simply. "Have you been doing anything to him? Are you involved in his fugue states? What about the bite on his shoulder?"

"Oh please, I didn't bite him." Stiles replied with a roll of his eyes. "That was something else. I don't know what though. Just a threat."

"But you didn't deny the fugue states." Derek pointed out with a scowl on his face. He attempted to push 'Stiles' away, but he didn't budge.

"He needs to wake up." Stiles shrugged, ignoring the shove.

"Wake up? Kate told him that too. What the fuck does that mean?"

Stiles smirked at Derek. "You're just a pawn, remember? I told you that we don't need you." He raised his hand and slammed Derek's head back against the shower wall.

Derek opened his eyes and sat up, exhaling shakily. He swallowed hard and looked around the dark room. He heard a light breath and felt movement beside him. Stiles was just rolling over in his sleep. Derek sighed and put his head in his heads. What a weird nightmare. 

Derek looked around the room but frowned when he didn't see the alarm clock. Weird. He shrugged it off and climbed out of bed so he could take a walk around the house. He walked towards the kitchen and rubbed his eyes when he realized the lights were on. He could hear someone was rummaging through the kitchen.

He turned the corner and glanced at the clock first. _3:37_ Great. He only got a few hours of sleep.

He looked towards the opened fridge and first saw dark hair before the figure stepped back. He wasn't expecting A to be here already.

A glanced up at Derek, the ingredients to make himself a sandwich in his arms. "Oh, hi." A greeted him, setting the meat and mustard on the counter before heading to the pantry for bread.

"When did you get here?" Derek asked. As far as he recalled, he hadn't been at the house the first time Derek tried to sleep.

A glanced at his watch. "Five minutes ago. I'm not going to sleep and I'm hungry, so I'm going to get food before I hole up and take care of things."

"I didn't even know you were coming yet. Allison and Chris mentioned that they wanted you to know you're safe to come here."

A snorted and set the package of bread on the table before he opened it and got out four slices. "With our lives, safe doesn't really exist. Not entirely. Safe is when you can stop being paranoid, when you can finally relax. When's the last time you relaxed?"

Derek pursed his lips together and leaned back against the counter. "This is still safe for us. So what about the club? Did you find anything?" He still wasn't sure what to think of the man in front of him.

A shrugged and glanced up to Derek. He searched his expression before grinning. "You don't trust me. I get it though, I mean, with your current lifestyle, trust is hard to give out to people. You've only known me for a very short window of time, and Allison no doubt told you that Nova is my club. So that increases your suspicion and puts you on edge. You know I'm a former guard, so it leads you to question my loyalties and where I truly fall. If I'm really that much about self-preservation."

Derek frowned at the pretty spot on analysis. He didn't know how to feel about how well A seemed to read him from their few interactions. A smiled wider at Derek's expression. "I'm saying this because I would feel the same way. I don't like new things, they're hard to trust."

Derek nodded and drummed his fingers on the marble counter top. "What's your real name?" He asked, watching as A squeezed a spiral of mustard around the center of the meat on his sandwich. "It's a little weird calling you 'A'. I don't even know much about you, other than that you were a former guard."

"Funny, I know a decent amount about you." A replied with a grin. When Derek raised his eyebrows, he continued talking. "Derek S. Hale, born November 7th, twenty-four years old. You're six feet tall, and your blood type is O positive. Right handed and you used to play basketball in high school, so you've been consistently athletic. Graduated top of your academy class and did well in the role of an officer. You had a clean record until some dream therapy sessions landed you a one way ticket to the house of horrors. Feel free to let me know if any of that information was incorrect."

Derek swallowed hard. "How do you know all that?"

A shrugged and tapped his hand against the mustard lid to seal it, a wide smile on his face. "Information is kind of my thing, if you haven't figured that out yet. It would be stupid of me if I didn't do a check on everyone here. Just to be safe, of course, I don't want any surprises. Allison gave me a list of the names of everyone staying here and I ran a search. I didn't mind what I saw, so I came to offer my services to your group."

Derek gave a slow nod since that at least made some sense. "Has anything else happened to Nova?"

A tapped his fingers against his jaw and nodded. "I actually have a few things to share with the group. I've been collecting information on behalf of Chris, and there's a lot I've learned. About those Feral weirdos, and a few other things. Nova may be a nightclub, but deeper than that, it's essentially for collecting information."

"What kind of information, if you don't mind sharing a little?"

"Eichen sent one of their attack dogs to Nova after your group left. I took it down and got a look at it. I've found a little bit of how their controls work but I'll share full details later. There's also another group to be wary of. They're called Wraiths." A paused and laughed. "Gerard is a fucking sucker for various mythology apparently with this stuff."

"What do the Wraiths do?"

A shook his head. "Not trying to keep you in the dark, but I would rather explain it once when I can talk to Chris and show everyone things I've received. I don't like explaining myself more than once when there is a lot of information. Please don't take it personally." He finished making his sandwiches and put everything back where he found it.

Derek really wanted to know right now, but he kind of understood A's reasoning. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

A turned towards the hall and paused under the arched opening. "Aeron. With an A-E. That should be a fair exchange for now. I'm going to go upgrade our security system in case anyone needs me. You should go get some sleep though, you look exhausted."

Derek sighed as Aeron left, putting his head in his hands before sighing out. He was exhausted. He poured himself a glass of water before heading back to his bedroom. Stiles was still asleep with his back to Derek. Derek climbed back into bed with him, taking care not to wake him. He slid his arm around his waist and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. Stiles shifted in his sleep and nuzzled his cheek against his pillow before he let out a soft sigh.

Derek let him get comfortable, brushing his fingers over his stomach as he closed his eyes.

 

Derek awoke to an empty bed and sighed, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes. He looked around the room and tried to blink the sleepiness away. Stiles was seated on the floor with his back against the foot of the bed, focusing on something. Derek furrowed his eyebrows before he realized the missing alarm clock was floating a few feet off of the ground. It soon shook midair and dropped, Stiles quickly reaching and catching it before it could hit the ground. He glanced back to check if Derek was still sleeping, his eyes widening in surprise once he saw he was awake. "Did I wake you?"

Derek shook his head, climbing out of bed so he could sit down beside Stiles. He reached out and brushed his fingers against the cracked screen of the alarm clock as he furrowed his brow in thought. "You've been practicing?"

"A little. I'm trying to figure out full control, but I can't hold it long. Since it's a small object, it's easier for me to practice without getting a headache. The bigger objects that I've done when I lost control end up hurting because of the nose bleeds and the exertion. I think if I learn how to control it, it will hurt less and I can do more with it."

Derek nodded as he listened to Stiles. "That's good at least, you're doing well with it."

Stiles smiled and set the alarm clock on the floor so he could lean against Derek. Derek slid his arm around his shoulder and rested his head against Stiles', closing his eyes again.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Derek asked, absentmindedly brushing his fingers against Stiles' hair.

"For everything. For keeping me sane, for staying here with me. I'd be dead without you, or some comatose doll for Gerard to use."

Derek nodded, trying not to go down that path of thought. "What do you think about when you practice? What helps?"

"It's been difficult because I still have to remind myself that I won't get electrocuted for failing anymore, so I try to think about things that make me happy. You, our friends, stuff like that." He replied with a shrug of one of his shoulders.

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Go ahead." Stiles murmured.

Derek opened his eyes and stared at the wall for a long moment. "You told Peter that he would be the one to kill Kate. Is that true?"

"When I was sleeping on the way back, I saw it."

"What helps you realize the difference between your dreams and what is a premonition?"

Stiles pulled away so he could face Derek. He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers against his jaw, searching his expression. "Sometimes the flashes and feelings help me know what to look for. I saw flashes of Peter and Kate, so when I saw Peter, I knew it wasn't just a dream. Like with you. I remember times when I saw your face in my dreams and during therapy sessions, and then one day you finally showed up and I felt so much in quick flashes that let me know who you were. Sort of. It was different. I didn't know about the emotional bond, or that I'm why you were there. I think Gerard messed with my memories so I wouldn't remember talking about you or something." He replied with a shrug before realizing his was rambling.

Stiles sighed and scratched at his jaw in thought. "So when I saw your uncle, I realized then that it wasn't just a dream and that he might actually kill Kate."

Derek nodded and slid his arms around Stiles' waist so he could tug him closer. Stiles let out a laugh and leaned forwards to bump their foreheads together. Derek closed his eyes and tried to process everything.

He had loved Kate for so long that it still felt surreal that it had been fake to her. She played him for so long, to where Derek had wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. All of it had meant nothing and had been little more than a ploy to lock Derek in the asylum. 

Derek pulled away and tilted Stiles' chin up so he could look into his eyes. All of it was for this boy in front of him, yet he felt no resentment towards him. It wasn't Stiles' fault, none of it was. He cared deeply for Stiles; they bonded because they were both victims to this hellacious reality.

Stiles searched Derek's expression before he leaned forwards and pressed a kiss to his neck. "Are you hungry?"

"Not right now. Although, we do have a big day ahead of us though. Peter has a lot to talk about and then we have some new information from that A guy too."

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows. "Who?"

"He's the one we got the cars from for the club."

"So he's here now or something?"

"Nova was his club, so he's probably laying low since Eichen is more than likely surrounding it."

"Fair enough." Stiles replied, getting to his feet and holding his hand out for Derek to take. Derek accepted his help and stood. "Ready for some answers?"

Derek nodded in response, feeling some mild excitement for it. He had grown tired of running in circles while missing so much important information.

Peter didn't wake until just before noon and took an extra half hour before they could sit down in the meeting room. Derek sat across from Peter and crossed his arms over his chest as he sat back. Peter had a mug of coffee in his hands, finishing taking a sip before he set it down on the table.

"Where would you like to begin?" Peter asked in a curious tone.

"I want to know more about the HADES Project and the serum." Derek stated. "Stiles told me that he and the other children were taken in for extreme cases of night terrors."

Peter gave a nod and thought about where to begin with that. "Part of Gerard's obsession began with dreams. The imagination has near infinite possibilities, so he wanted to see if there was anyway he could harness that power. Sometimes you even hear about the occasional precognition that comes from dreams. The easiest target to subject to testing were children. Since they were still developing, it was easier to attempt to change them with the earlier versions of the serum."

Peter paused to take another drink. "Unfortunately, the serum is more often than not unstable and unpredictable in each host. Due to the information you already have, it's safe to say you've seen some of the video files?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah. We went to one of the old archive centers. We found and brought back information on Stiles, Dr. Cain Argent's final recordings and interviews, as well as something about emotional bonding. I know that Stiles and I are bound together."

Peter's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm surprised you're aware of that."

"Kate mentioned that most of the others that had an emotional bond became little more than mindless followers to the person they were attached to. She said that because I'm independent, my bond goes much deeper with Stiles and that certain things will only become stronger."

"I don't know too much about the bonding process, but from what I've heard, that's the goal. Your connection to Stiles was originally something to keep him functioning and from giving up, but it's gone even further than that. You've fallen for him, haven't you?" Derek tensed and frowned at his uncle. Peter only smiled at him. "I heard what you were talking about when I interrupted. You two also have a more than platonic body language around each other."

Derek rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Stiles and I are involved."

"Once this is over, are you going to bring him home to the family? I think they would enjoy him. Especially with the telekinesis."

Derek stared at his uncle and bit back a snarky retort. "You were talking about what the serum does to different subjects before you began discussing emotional bonding." He instead replied, just wanting to get to the point they had previously been at.

"Right. So the point is that there are different categories. More than likely, the serum will kill the host. Out of each testing group Gerard used, half died. Many remaining became Feral, few bonded with the serum to become stronger, but the most rare are the ones that evolved from the serum, like Stiles. Although, Gerard considers Stiles at the very top of that pyramid. He's Gerard's favorite and potentially the strongest. He just needs to learn control."

"So how exactly does that mean is Stiles both rebirth and destruction?"

"Stiles' powers make him a truly destructive force, depending on how he is used. But there is also another side to it. See, not many people are aware of a certain little fact: Gerard has cancer, so not only does he crave enormous power, but he's obsessed with finding a cure and potentially finding a way to live forever. The serum had bonded with Stiles so well that it had another unexpected mutation. When Gerard introduced Stiles' blood to cancer cells, his blood kills it. He's potentially immune to most diseases and he even heals a little faster than normal people, so he can handle more damage. Which explains a little more of how he's endured such physical trauma throughout his hospitalization. Gerard uses Stiles' blood to keep his cancer from spreading."

Derek stared at Peter in stunned silence. That was definitely a lot to take in. "Does Stiles know?"

Peter shook his head. "You can't tell him. Gerard has someone that can manipulate memories, so Stiles doesn't remember that he had tried to kill himself when he found out about it. The poor kid got out of his binds and swallowed any of the pills he could find. He doesn't want to be Gerard's cure."

"Not that you can blame him." Derek pointed out, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Stiles' 'gift' also comes with a price. Despite the immunity, the serum made him more sick than the other children. He also bleeds more to make up for it. I've noticed that it's most visible through subconjunctival hemorrhages. Stiles' special skills have many perks, but just as many downfalls."

Derek sighed and scratched at the back of his neck as he frowned. He tried to think of just what to ask next. He soon sighed and closed his eyes. "Will Stiles ever be able to have a normal life?"

"Not while Gerard is still around. With Gerard's Eichen, he will always be hunted."

Derek frowned and opened his eyes again. "You never told me what you wanted out of all of this."

"I don't see what you could possibly mean. I've already told you that I want Gerard dead."

"What do you want out of his death?" Derek reiterated.

Peter raised his eyebrows and smiled wider. "Why do you think I could have an ulterior motive?"

"Because I know you."

Peter chuckled and leaned forwards, resting his elbows on the table. "Gerard's ideals are unconventional, but I don't think we should completely destroy it all. I think Eichen can use a revamping. By all means, we can kill Gerard and his sociopath of a daughter, but I think a good change could happen if he was no longer in charge."

"So you want to be head of Eichen when Gerard is dead." Derek finished for him, narrowing his eyes. "Let me ask you this first, you knew about Kate, didn't you?"

"When I first met her, I knew who she was. I confronted her and asked her a few questions. She had numerously assured me that she was no longer involved with the company after the death of her brother and just wanted a peaceful life. I kept a quiet watch over her, and sure enough, she showed us what she was really after. I wasn't aware of your ties to Stiles until long after you were categorized and admitted to the institution."

Derek sighed and drummed his fingers over the table. "Fine then. We'll kill Gerard and I'll let you take charge. I want you to know though, if nothing changes or you become worse than Gerard, I'll kill you myself. We may be family, but I will not tolerate the continuation of those disgusting practices."

Peter had very little reaction to Derek's threat. He kept a calm expression and shrugged his shoulders. "That is understandable. I promise you there will be no more child testing as well, I've never been big on children anyways. When the time comes though, I would like some access to Stiles' blood. If we could isolate the genome that boosts his healing and gives him potential immunization, it could lead to massive breakthroughs in the medical field."

"Only if Stiles is alright with it. I will not make a deal like this on his behalf."

"That's fine. Stiles would have freedom to come and go as he pleases anyways. After being imprisoned for so long, I agree that he has every right to be free."

"At least we agree on something." Derek mumbled, standing and pushing his chair in.

"Are you all finished asking me questions?" Peter asked as he rose to his feet as well.

"For now. I'll have more later, I just need to think about everything we've gone over." Derek sighed and scratched at the back of his neck before heading out into the hallway.

He bumped into someone and apologized before realizing it was Stiles. Stiles smiled at him and raised his eyebrows. "How did the talk go? Did you find out everything you wanted?"

"Almost. I'll have more questions later, but I know we have the meeting with everyone else soon. Are you going to be there?"

Stiles gave a shake of his head in response. "I'm gonna be trying some more hydrotherapy with Deaton."

Derek frowned as he recalled when Stiles got really sick before their escape. "Are you sure about that? You're completely willing, right?"

Stiles nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, Deaton uses pretty warm water, they used ice cold water at the hospital. No one is forcing me to do this either." He watched Derek sigh before he cupped Derek's face in his hands and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I know you worry, but I'm okay. Just tell me how the meeting goes and fill me in when we're done. I think you should try the dream therapy at some point, it could be really fun."

Derek gave a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders. "Maybe. I'll get back to you on that."

"Fair enough. I'll see you in a little while." Stiles smiled widely, patting his shoulder before heading off.

Derek watched Stiles walk away, sighing as he thought about everything he had just learned about him. It felt like the more he learned about Stiles, the more he discovered just how bad he had it. He knew discussions about the healing process and Peter's request would have to wait until Gerard was dead. He didn't want to needlessly upset him by bringing up repressed memories.

Derek waited for the meeting room to fill once again, sitting leaned back in a chair until Chris came in. "Alright, the first thing that we want to discuss is that we've learned something about how each Feral person is controlled." He spoked up, glancing over as Allison held up a bag with a small metal device inside.

"Our friend, A, and another friend did an autopsy on one of the ones that went to Nova after we left. They found this implant in the base of the skull. It turns their hostility on and off and gives them objectives to follow. That's why they drug the patients until they lose every piece of their personality. They become Feral in greater numbers."

Derek frowned as he thought about that. If they could be turned on and off, that would explain the chaos that helped them escape the hospital in the first place. It really did seem like all of this was one big game to Gerard. Derek wasn't sure if he even wanted to know what Gerard wanted the end result to be. Was this just a trial run for Stiles? Derek remembered what Peter had told him at the club. Stiles was meant to be at the top, controlling the Feral Ones and even their controllers.

"And if that's not bad enough, that's where the Wraiths come in." Aeron stated as he walked in, a folder in one hand and a beer in the other.

"You're starting early." Allison piped up, smiling with a raise of her eyebrows.

Aeron winked at her and set the beer on the table so he could get a file out of the folder and put it in the large monitor on the wall. He brought up photographs first and Derek recognized the person in them instantly. Ennis from the locked Ward.

"This is Ennis. He's categorized as a Wraith. They were test subjects, but the purpose of these ones was to essentially make them superhuman. See for yourselves." He stated, swiping away the photographs and starting a camera video from the club. There was Ennis ripping a table out of the ground and throwing it across the room before he...Oh good, he actually can lift someone above his head and snap their spine in half. Joy.

Derek cringed at the sight and could almost hear the sickening crack of bones.

"These Wraiths are very blood thirsty, but they more or less have control, unlike their Feral minions. I don't know too much about them yet, but I know that they have a team of their own and that they have someone in charge. Two more we've seen are these two." Aeron paused to bring up two photographs. A set of male twins, looking about Stiles' age. "The strange thing is that I discovered that they are also patient 000-163."

Derek raised his eyebrows. "Patient 163 is a set of twins?"

"Since they're identical, they gave them a double identification tag. Both come up when you look into the filing." Aeron answered, looking over to Derek. "Makes things easier, I guess since they are identical down to the last gene." He then motioned to the twins. "I know for certain that they aren't the leaders. Aiden and Ethan Holloway are more like knights on a chessboard. Higher power but still not in control. What I'm trying to do now is figure out how many there are, who is in charge, and how we stop them."

"Can you trace the location of the Feral device?" Scott asked curiously.

"No. They had a different implant for that. It shuts off when their heart stops beating."

"Is there anything else that you were wanting to tell us?" Derek spoke up again.

Aeron shook his head and ejected his file from the screen. "Not yet. When I find out more, you will all be the first to know."

"We'll call it here then. He's already been upgrading our security systems and making them more secure." Chris spoke up. "For now, just continue training or taking patrol shifts."

Derek rose to his feet and headed right for Deaton's infirmary. He wanted to make sure that Stiles was still doing okay.

He found Stiles in an attached room, floating in a inflated tub in the corner of the room. Stiles' eyes were closed but there were monitors attached to his head to connect to a screen for dream recording purposes.

He let out a soft sigh and sat down beside the tub, resting his arms against the side as he watched Stiles rest. Stiles soon opened his eyes and sat up, glancing over and jumping when he saw Derek.

Derek chuckled and gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

Stiles shook his head and put a hand on either side of the tub so he could push himself up and stand. Derek stood as well, grabbing a towel and handing it to Stiles as Stiles took the monitors off.

"I didn't want it to last long anyways, so we set it for a little over half an hour. Do you want to try? It could help you feel more well rested, if nothing else."

Derek pursed his lips together before he sighed. "What do I need to do."

"Strip down to your boxers." Derek did as he was told, watching Stiles fold his shirt and jeans up before setting them on a nearby chair. "Let me go get Deaton so he can run you through everything."

Stiles left the room but returned shortly with Deaton close behind. "Stiles told me that you'd like to try a round of hydrotherapy?"

Derek shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. Deaton gave a nod and stepped over a counter in the corner to get a small syringe. "This is a minor sedative, just enough to easily coax you into a gentle rest. As a warning, for the first time, depending on how you react to it, it can be a volatile experience. Each person is different, of course, but the first time generally tends to be the hardest. Would you still like to go through with it?"

Derek looked between Stiles and Deaton before holding his arm out to Deaton. Deaton nodded and injected the sedative into Derek's veins before recapping the needle tossing it in the proper disposal. Derek opened and closed his fist at the feeling of cold liquid running through his veins and waited patiently for it to kick in. He soon gave a nod and Deaton motioned for him to get in the tub.

Derek let out a soft sigh as he sat back against the edge, looking up at Deaton. "Do you want to record it?" 

Derek considered it and shrugged. "I guess." He replied. He didn't care one way or the other, but if something important happened, it was better to have a copy. If not, he could always just delete the recording. 

Deaton connected the monitors to his temples before motioning to him. "You can lay down now." Deaton told him, taking a step back.

Derek pushed himself from the edge until he was floating on his back, sighing and staring up at the ceiling as he waited for the drowsiness to overtake him. Someone turned the lights off in the room until there was just darkness and silence. Derek could just hear the steady thumping of his heartbeat and his slow breathing.

_Thump...Thump...Thump..._

Derek slowly closed his eyes, sighing and letting himself relax further into the warm sensation of the water and the sedative.

 

Derek opened his eyes again to find himself on his stomach in a warm bed. He sighed and rubbed his cheek, sitting up and closing his tired eyes again. How long had he slept? He lowered his hand at the sound of a knock on his door and let out a yawn before speaking. "Yes?"

He heard the door open as he opened his eyes before he furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn't expecting to see his sister Laura. "Breakfast is almost ready. Mom and dad made omelettes. Our parents are going all out since you're off today."

Derek frowned in confusion. "Where's Stiles?"

"Stiles?" Laura asked with a raise of her eyebrows. "Don't know who that is." Her eyes then lit up and she gasped. "Are you moving on? That's really quick but I'm so proud of you."

Moving on? Whatever that meant. Derek climbed out of bed and followed Laura downstairs, enjoying the smells coming from the kitchen. He could smell the omelettes perfectly, as well as the scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. His mouth nearly watered at the smell of the spice. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten his dad's baking.

He looked to Laura though, remembering a few questions. "What about the Eichen Corporation?"

Laura raised her eyebrows. "What about them? You told me they said you passed your evaluation without a problem last month."

Derek frowned at that. "I did?"

Laura snorted lightly and smiled widely. "Yeah. Seriously though, are you okay, Derek? You're acting kind of weird."

Derek shook his head, feeling a light nagging sensation at the back of his mind. "Sorry, I'm just tired."

Laura nodded and left the dining room. Derek went into the kitchen and found his parents finishing up breakfast. His mom was finishing plating the omelettes while his dad roasted some potatoes. He spotted the cinnamon rolls and walked over to grab one.

"Not yet, you have to wait for it to be on the table." His father piped up, not even looking away from his potatoes.

Derek smiled and leaned against the counter. "How did you know what I was after?"

"Call it a sixth sense, it's been perfected after raising three children. You'll get it when you're a parent someday." His father replied with a wide smile.

Derek gave a roll of his eyes in amusement. "What do you need me to help with?"

"You could start taking everything to the table for me." His mother suggested, looking back over at him.

Derek nodded and grabbed the platter of cinnamon rolls first since those were all ready to go.

"Oh, and Derek?" Derek looked back to his mom before she continued. "I know heartbreak can be very difficult to get through, but you're stronger than you realize. I want you to know that I'm proud of you, no matter what. Your heart will always know what to do."

Derek looked a little confused but nodded and went to the dining room. He set the platter on the table before he returned for the plates. He put them down in each of their usual spots and went to get himself some orange juice once everything was all set up.

Breakfast felt so normal and calm again, he had missed it. As it continued, he felt the nagging sensation again but he couldn't really remember what could be bothering him. It even seemed like the more time passed by, the more his problems seemed to fade away. He just felt happy.

As he walked down the hallway leading to his room, he heard the faint sound of crying. It sounded like a boy's voice. Derek frowned and stopped by the door so he could listen closer. He could hear the sound of pacing and even saw the shadows under the door of someone walking around. The crying turned to heavy breathing as the boy started to hyperventilate. 

As Derek reached for the door, he heard a scream and quickly opened the door. The room was empty. Derek quickly searched the closet and under the bed, but didn't find anyone there. He swallowed hard and shook his head, closing the door behind him once he left the room.

He sat back at the dining table once dinner was served, staring at his plate as he apathetically twisted the noodles around his fork.

"Derek?" Laura asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

Derek blinked out of his slight daze and looked over to his older sister. "What?"

"You okay? You've been acting a little weird today." She stated, concern visible in her expression.

Derek shrugged and looked back at his food. "I guess I'm just tired."

"So when are we going to meet this Stiles person?" His little sister Cora asked through a mouthful of garlic bread.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows at the name. Laura smiled widely at the question. "Right? I would love to meet them." 

Derek lifted the fork to his mouth and finally took a bite. "Okay, but who's Stiles?" He asked after swallowing.

"You tell me. You were saying the name earlier." Laura pointed out with a raise of her eyebrows.

Derek thought back on it before frowning when he couldn't recall that happening. "Oh."

"You're acting weird again, little brother." Laura replied, raising her wine glass to her lips. Derek rolled his eyes and drank his own.

 

After dinner, Derek took care of the dishes and listened to a light tube on the radio as he turned the sink on. As he did the dishes, the tune started to get a little more staticky.

"Derek..." Derek frowned and turned off the water so he could listen closer. Did he just hear his name on the radio? He leaned closer, trying to focus on it. "Derek!" A distant voice called through the static. Derek gripped the counter and tried to hear what else the voice was mumbling as the voice started to fade. The voice suddenly stopped and the music returned, blaring loudly out of the speakers. Derek jolted away in a mixture of surprise and pain, cringing as he rubbed his ear. What the hell was going on?

Derek quickly finished the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, scowling at the radio before storming out of the room. After a hot shower, Derek got in his pajamas and went to sleep when he started to feel exhausted.

"Derek!" Derek jolted at the sound of his name being called and sat up, coughing at the thick smell of smoke. "Derek, where are you?" He heard his mother calling, followed by the sounds of coughing.

Derek got to his feet quickly before stumbling into his dresser. His head spun and his vision blurred while his body felt heavy as lead. He fought back nausea and propped himself as he walked, lifting his shirt to his mouth so he wouldn't I hale all the smoke.

He tensed at the loud sounds of screams and closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness further disoriented him and almost knocked him off his feet. He pressed himself further and looked for his family, praying that they made it out. He tried to make it down the stairs, down to safety. He just needed to get to the main floor and get everyone out of the house.

_Crunch!_

Derek went rigid at the splintering of wood beneath his feet and tried to quickly move off the crumbling stairs. His next footstep went through and dropped his down to the basement, screaming as flames engulfed his body.

In his next breath, he was outside again. Derek panted heavily, staring at his house. He leaned forwards to run to the house, taking a breath to prepare yelling for his family. Fingers wrapped around his wrist and quickly stopped him. Derek whirled around, a desperate look on his face.

Stiles stood there, watching Derek with a sad expression. All of Derek's memories of Stiles and what they had been through came rushing back to him. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat when his voice cracked. "Did they...Did anyone make it?"

"Cora suffocated, but you and the rest of your family burned to death." Stiles whispered in a forlorn tone. "You all die. It was the wine you had at diner. You were drugged and then murdered."

Derek shuddered and swallowed back the bile that threatened to rise. Stiles let go of him, staring at the house as he took slow steps towards it. "I would do anything to keep you from living this reality, but there's one thing I have to do."

Derek heard a booming noise of what sounded like thunder in the distance and quickly looked back. "What do you have to do?" He asked. When he looked forwards again, he let out a startled cry.

Stiles was facing him, his hands pressed to the bottom of the left side of his ribs. Blood seeped through his fingers and spread across his shirt. "I have to die." Stiles replied.

 

Derek woke up out of the water, screaming and writhing.

"Hey! Hey! Derek, I'm here! Look at me, I'm here!" Stiles exclaimed, holding Derek and trying to keep him still.

Derek gasped and shuddered in his arms, breathing heavily as he squeezed his eyes shut. Stiles rubbed his back, resting his head against his once Derek started to finally calm down. "It's okay, I'm here. You've been writhing and yelling out in your sleep for about fifteen minutes now, we took you out of the tub and I've been trying to wake you up. It's okay though, whatever you saw, it was just a dream." He tried to soothe him.

Derek shook his head and inhaled sharply, lifting his hand to cover his eyes. "It felt real. It all felt so god damn real."

"I know, I know. It's because of how deep you sleep. The first time is always the hardest, but you're awake now. You're here, with me."

Derek shook his head and just listened to Stiles talk. His throat felt tight and he could still smell the smoke.

Stiles rubbed the back of his neck and let out a soft sigh before he started to sing.

_"Hush now, the night is coming,_  
Hush now, the moon is calling.  
Hush now, just close your eyes,  
I'll see you in the morning light 

_Fear not, I'm right beside you,_  
Fear not, I'll never fail you  
Hush now, just dry your eyes,  
Do not fear the darkened skies 

_Hear me, I'm right beside you,_  
Hear me, I'm calling to you  
You know, I'll always love you  
You're always in my tender heart  
Nothing will ever keep us apart 

_You know, I need you,_  
Just like you need me,  
Just, close your eyes, darling,  
Breathe deep for me. 

_Hush now, darling,_  
Hush now, the stars are falling  
Hush now, my sweetheart,  
Hush now, for night is calling. 

_I'll be here when you close your eyes,_  
Will be here when you wake,  
Reach for me and I'll be near,  
My hand is yours to take. 

_Close your eyes, my darling,_  
Close your eyes and dream,  
Hush now, my dear dream without fear,  
Don't you worry, I'll always be here. 

_You know, I need you,_  
Just like you need me,  
Just, close your eyes, darling,  
And breathe deep for me. 

_Breath deep for me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you again for liking the story and leaving your amazing comments, they have been helping me so, so much! 
> 
> Also, if you all are wondering for visuals on what I use for Papa Hale and A, I generally picture short haired Jason Momoa when I write or Roleplay Papa Hale, and a very eccentric and paranoid Matthew Daddario for our strange A. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all liked the chapter!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thank you to everyone for all the kind comments I have been receiving! They really mean a lot to me!
> 
> I hope you all continue to love the fic!

Derek took slow and steady breaths as he listened to Stiles sing, resting his forehead against his shoulder. "Where did you learn that song?" He finally asked.

Stiles continued to rub his back, carding his fingers through his hair. "My mom used to always sing it to me after a night terror. I remember because I'd sing it to myself to calm down in the hospital."

"It's a nice song." Derek noted, sliding his arm around his waist before frowning. "Were you calling my name while I was asleep?"

"Yeah, we were trying to wake you up, so Deaton told me my voice could probably reach you. Apparently it did."

Derek gave a nod. "I heard your voice. I heard something else too. I think it might have been you when you were younger. I heard a boy crying and hyperventilating."

Stiles frowned a little as he rubbed his back. "Strange, I wonder why you would have heard that..." He sighed and pulled away. He looked over Derek's hair and pulled away. "We need to take you upstairs and dry you off so you don't get sick."

Stiles helped him to his feet, taking a hold of his hand and leaning forwards to kiss his cheek. Derek grabbed a towel and let go so he could wrap it around his waist. Stiles waited patiently for him before leading the way upstairs. 

Once they were in the bedroom, Derek grabbed a change of clothes and put on some dry boxers and a fresh shirt before he sat on the bed again. Stiles cupped Derek's face in his hands and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I'm going to go downstairs, do you need anything?" Derek wrapped his fingers around his wrists so Stiles couldn't pull away.

"Stay." He whispered, remembering the end of his nightmare.

 _"I have to die..."_ Stiles' words echoed in his mind, making him squeeze his eye shut and turn his head so he could press his lips to the inside of his wrist.

"Stay." He whispered again. He needed to know that this was real. He needed the reassurance that Stiles was here with him and that nothing had happened to him.

Stiles smiled and rested their foreheads together. "I'll stay with you."

Derek nodded and let go of his wrists to slid his arms around his waist and pull him between his legs. "There's something I'd like to try, if you're okay with it."

"What do you want to try?" Stiles asked, setting his chin lightly on top of Derek's head.

Derek sat back and placed his hands on Stiles hips. "You've never topped anyone." He stated, staring into his eyes so he could watch his reaction. 

Stiles looked a little confused before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh... _Oh_...Are you sure that you're up to that?"

Derek nodded in response. He felt vulnerable right now, but he wanted Stiles. He wanted the reassurance of his touch. Stiles searched his expression for a moment longer before he gave a nod and stepped back. Stiles pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside so he could undo his jeans. Derek watched him strip down, looking over his body. His eyes focused on the bite mark on his shoulder and he cringed at the sight. It had taken on a dark bruise in hues of yellows, blacks, and blues; it looked down right painful.

Stiles noticed his stare and placed his hand on the bruise to cover it. "It's fine. It looks a lot worse than it is, Derek. It doesn't even hurt that much."

Derek gave a nod but wasn't convinced. He just didn't want to argue about it right now. He instead pulled his shirt off and lifted his hips to tug his boxers down.

Stiles headed back over to their duffle bag in the corner and rummaged through it so he could find the lube. "What about condoms?" He asked, looking back over to him.

"We didn't use one last time." Derek pointed out with a raise of his eyebrows.

Stiles shrugged a shoulder and pursed his lips together. "Yeah, maybe, but I just wanna take care of you."

"Whatever you want to do is fine." Derek assured him.

Stiles nodded and read the instructions on the back of the box. He put it back in the bag and stood again so he could head back over to Derek. "How do you want to do this?"

Derek shrugged and scooted back until he was propped up against the headboard. "This is fine." Stiles nodded and climbed onto the bed, carefully nudging his legs open so he could sit between them. He popped open the cap on the lube and dribbled some on his fingers before rolling them together to make sure it was warmed up.

Derek glanced up to his face, noting just how nervous he looked. "Hey, it's okay. It's your first time doing this, it doesn't have to be perfect. I trust you." Stiles nodded and gave him a small smile, seeming to feel a little better about it.

"Yeah, that's true. Thank you." He replied, leaning up to press his lips to Derek's softly. Derek hummed back a response before deepening the kiss and lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. He ran his tongue along his lower lip and smiled when Stiles opened his mouth so he could slide it in to rub against his.

Stiles lowered his hand as they kissed, brushing his fingers against Derek's entrance before slowly easing a finger in. Derek's breath hitched at the feeling before he relaxed again. Stiles slowly began to pump the digit, moving it in a little deeper each time. He pulled away from the kiss and watched Derek's expression, resting their foreheads together. 

"Have you ever done this before?" Stiles whispered to him, pulling his finger out to the tip so he could slowly ease in another.

Derek squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, "No."

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows, his movement with his fingers briefly hesitating. "Are you sure you want this?"

Derek nodded and sighed out, shifting his hips and opening his eyes again so he could look at Stiles. "I want this." He confirmed, placing a hand on Stiles' cheek and brushing his thumb lightly against his skin. "I trust you and I want you to do this. I'm fine."

Stiles stared into his eyes and searched his expression before nodding. "Okay, but if you change your mind, just tell me and I'll stop. It doesn't matter if it's now or when I'm inside you, I'll stop and we'll try another day."

Derek nodded and leaned up to press his lips to his forehead. "I know, that's why I trust you to do this with me."

Stiles smiled and hummed in content before lowering his gaze and focusing on pumping his fingers inside of Derek. He slowly scissored them and stretched them open, adding another when Derek was comfortable. Once Derek was opened enough for him, he slowly moved his fingers, searching for that sweet spot Derek had found in him.

Derek soon gasped and squeezed his eyes shut, tilting his head back and rocking his hips with Stiles' fingers. Stiles smiled wider and brushed his fingers against it again, using his other hand to wrap around the base of his cock. He stroked Derek in languid movements, alternating between the pumping of his fingers. He brushed his thumb against the tip where a bead of pre-come had collected, lifting his hand to his mouth and licking the pad of his thumb before he began to stroke him again.

Derek's breath caught in his throat and he let out a muffled whine as he bit at his lip. Stiles hummed in content and brushed his lips against his jaw, slipping his fingers out and pulling his hands away from his body. He let out a soft laugh at the noise Derek made in protest, nuzzling his nose against his cheek. "You're kind of adorable."

Derek shook his head and sighed out, evening his breathing out as he opened his eyes again. "You're the adorable one."

Stiles shrugged and smiled wider at him. "Maybe. First things first though, I kinda want to hear you say you want me."

Derek raised his eyebrows a little, earning a nervous laugh. "Don't judge me, it's my first time doing this too, and just, yeah." Stiles replied, scratching at the back of his neck.

Derek felt a warm fondness in his chest, smiling a little as he leaned up and kissed his jaw. "I want you, Stiles. I want all of you, every single piece of you. I love you." Derek and Stiles both tensed, staring at each other with wide eyes. He hadn't meant to have said that last part, it just slipped out.

Despite that, it had felt natural. He had been meaning to tell Stiles, and now he finally had the chance. Stiles' initial shock soon wore off and he gave him a warm smile. "I know." He whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead before sitting back so he could use a little more lube to slick himself up.

Derek was thankful that he didn't press the subject and watched Stiles finish preparing. Stiles moved between his legs again and smiled sheepishly as he gave him a quick kiss. "Are you ready?" He asked, looking over his expression again.

Derek nodded and brushed the back of his fingers against Stiles' cheek. "Yeah."

Stiles nodded and positioned himself against him, brushing the tip of his cock against his entrance. He bit his lip at the sensation and slowly pressed in, letting out a soft moan. Derek closed his eyes and shifted his hips as Stiles eased in, moving his legs a little more open as he relaxed for him.

Stiles stopped once his hips were flush against Derek's, rubbing his hip as he leaned down to press kisses over his clavicle. "Let me know when it's okay."

Derek nodded and steadied his breathing, brushing his fingers up and down Stiles' back before nodding. "Okay, it's fine." He whispered.

Stiles hummed a response and began to slowly move. He focused on Derek's breathing and his sounds, pressing a kiss to his neck as he began to pick up his pace. Derek dug his nails in Stiles' back and rocked with his movements as he moaned out.

Stiles smiled wider and pressed his lips against Derek's, keeping it quick and chaste until Derek started nipping at his mouth. Derek slid his tongue into his mouth, panting lightly against him. Stiles ran his tongue along Derek's before pulling away, resting his forehead against his shoulder. He soon smiled and slowed his movement, earning a light growl from Derek.

"Don't...Don't slow down." Derek tried to demand, not very effective with his heavy breathing and flushed face.

Stiles grinned and leaned back so he could look at him. "Or what?" He challenged.

Derek grit his teeth together and shifted his knees before rolling them over. He grunted at the change in position, bracing his hands on Stiles' chest as he shifted to get comfortable. Stiles bit his lip and placed his hands on Derek's hips, lifting his hips to meet Derek's each time he would come down.

Derek tilted his head back and closed his eyes as he bucked his hips, moaning louder when Stiles brushed against his prostate again. He tightened around him, earning a pleasured hiss from Stiles. Stiles dug his nails deeper in his skin, leaving behind little red crescent marks.

Derek bit down on his lip and ground his hips down against Stiles', making him brush against that spot with each rotation of his hips. Stiles soon gripped his hips and held him still, bucking his hips up quickly and earning gut-punch little groans from Derek as he doubled over and buried his face in Stiles' neck.

"Close, Stiles." Derek gasped out, pressing feverish kisses to Stiles' skin. Stiles nodded quickly and rolled them over, keeping the hard pace as he braced himself above Derek with one hand. The other lowered and began to quickly stroke Derek's cock in time with his thrusts.

Derek arched his back off the bed, coming as he raked his nails down Stiles' back. Stiles squeezed his eyes shut as he arched into him, thrusting just a few more times before releasing into the tight heat Derek had given him. He collapsed above Derek, panting heavily and warming Derek's cheek with his heavy breath.

The room was silent aside from their heavy breaths until they finally calmed down. Stiles rested his head on Derek's chest, his eyes closed as he brushed his fingers against Derek's thigh. "How was that?" He finally asked, opening his eyes so he could look up at Derek.

Derek smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, hooking his arm around his shoulder. "You did a great job." He murmured, closing his eyes again.

Stiles hummed in content and nodded as he moved just enough to pull out of Derek and pull the blankets over them. Once he was settled again, he nuzzled into Derek's shoulder and sighed softly. "Thank you, for everything." He whispered.

Derek nodded as he held him close again, carding his fingers through Stiles' sweat dampened hair. "Yeah, thank you too."

Stiles smiled a little and slid his arm around his waist. "Do you want to take a shower with me soon?"

"Yeah, in a little while." Derek replied before opening his eyes when he recalled the dream he had had about showering with Stiles. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Stiles murmured.

"The other day, I overheard you talking to Lydia about that dream you both have been having. She mentioned seeing another version of you." Stiles tensed a little in his hold and looked up to him in surprise. "This morning I had a dream where I thought I was talking to you, but then your tone changed and it wasn't you. It was someone else and he told me you didn't need me."

"There is another me. He's not real though, I mean, he doesn't have a physical body. He wants to be in control, and I know he's very angry. He says he wants revenge but I don't think that's all he wants." Stiles started before he sighed and scratched at his hair. "I see him in dreams mostly, sometimes fugue states. When I lash out, I think it's him peeking through. He doesn't like anyone in our group, but he really doesn't like you. I think it might be jealousy though, because I rely on you and not him?"

"Does he tell you that he's trying to wake you up?" Derek asked, not liking the sound of any of it.

"Sometimes. I don't really know what he means by it though." Stiles replied with a shrug before he jumped a little and looked around. "Is it raining?"

Derek looked back at the window and shook his head. "I don't think so. Why?"

Stiles frowned and shook his head. "Nothing, I just thought I heard something." He murmured. "Never mind it."

"You okay?" Stiles nodded and closed his eyes again.

"Just tired, I kinda wanna just take a nap with you." He murmured.

Derek nodded and rested his head against Stiles'. "I'm fine with that." He replied before frowning. "Can you tell me about last night? He told me he didn't bite you, but I was wondering if you knew otherwise."

Stiles opened his eyes and shook his head after a moment of silence. "He didn't bite me. He doesn't know who did it either. Scott came to my bedroom and led me to a bonfire. Everyone was there dancing and Lydia offered me Glow while I watched everyone dance. I felt it run down my face and when she stepped back, the shadows made it look like she had a syringe in her hands. I even thought I had blood on my face, or that my beer tasted like blood. I thought maybe I was just tired, but the fire's shadows made everyone look twisted and then when I looked at their faces, they started to melt like wax."

Derek cringed at the thought. "Was he there?"

Stiles nodded. "I saw him a few times, but then it got to where everyone looked and sounded wrong when they talked and he was the only clear thing. Something grabbed me, bit me, and when I reached for him, it dragged me away."

"I'm sorry." Derek murmured, rubbing his back when he felt how rigid he was. "Can you tell me what you just heard?"

Stiles nodded. "It sounded like thunder, but you said it's not raining. Maybe it will tonight."

Derek nodded to reassure him. "Maybe, for now, just get some rest."

Stiles nodded and closed his eyes.

 

Derek awoke to find he was alone in the bed. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before stretching his arms above his head. He climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower and clean himself up.

Once he finished, he wandered out to see what everyone else was up to. As he turned the corner, he bumped into someone and accidentally knocked her over. "Sorry, I didn't hear you coming." He apologized, reaching for her before realizing he didn't recognize her. "Are you new here?"

The woman had long dark hair, pale skin, and looked a little confused. Her eyes lit up before she nodded and accepted his hand. "Yeah, I just got here. My name is Jennifer. Jordan brought me here and offered me a safe place."

"Safe place? Were you a patient?" 

Jennifer shook her head at Derek's question. "No, I was a nurse." She replied before she swayed on her feet. 

Derek furrowed his eyebrows and lightly braced his hands on her upper arms to help keep her steady. Jennifer lightly gripped his forearms and gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I haven't had much to eat and haven't been sleeping well since we left. I'm a little out of it."

Derek nodded in understanding. "I can help you to your bedroom?" He asked, earning a nod. He led Jennifer back upstairs and to her bedroom. Jennifer opened the door and he let go after making sure she could get to her bed. "If you need anything, just let me know. My name's Derek."

Jennifer nodded and smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you, Derek. You're really sweet." Derek nodded and took a step back before leaving her alone.

Once he was back downstairs, he headed down the main hall before pausing when he heard voices in the training room through the cracked door. He pushed the door open and found Stiles in the back of the room with Braeden showing him how to use a gun while Malia watched from across the room.

He raised his eyebrows and shut the door behind him as he listened to them talk.

"If we go on runs, we'll give you a hand gun. The assault rifles will be a little more work until you get the hang of handling it. For now though, just practice with this one and getting the feel of the weight. The silencer adds a little weight and adjusts the accuracy, but I figure it will make your training go smoother if you have a challenge." Braeden explained, showing Stiles how to stand and adjusted his posture. "You can fire when ready." 

Stiles nodded and stared at the paper target before firing three times. Each time he missed, but the final one was close to the target's shoulder.

"Alright, adjust your aim a little, you need to be looking down the center right here." Braeden showed him again, letting him adjust himself and aim the gun. "Try holding your breath when you aim and exhaling after you pull the trigger."

Stiles nodded and tried again, hitting the target this time and leaving a hole on the left side of the ribs.

Derek saw a dizzying flash of Stiles from his night terror, his eyes widening at the sight of how much blood there was.

_"I have to die..."_

He wasn't even aware he had hit the ground until he looked up and Stiles was kneeled in front of him, looking normal and concerned.

"Are you okay?" He asked, stroking Derek's cheek and looking over his face. "You look kind of pale."

Derek nodded and bumped their foreheads together. "I'm fine. Just had a dizzy spell, I guess." He mumbled.

Stiles nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Just take it easy, I don't want you hurting yourself, okay?"

Derek shook his head and kissed him. "I'll be fine." He replied as he pulled away, smiling reassuringly at him.

Stiles nodded slowly and rested their foreheads together. "Just take it easy today."

Derek gave a sigh before nodding. "Fine." He murmured and tilted his head towards Braeden. "You can go back to training. I just wanted to check on you."

Stiles smiled wider and let out a pleased sound. "Thank you for worrying about me. I'm fine though, so go ahead and relax again."

Derek nodded and got to his feet so he could let them continue their practicing. When he met Braeden's gaze, he gave her a thankful smile and she nodded in return. He was happy that she was giving Stiles a chance and getting to know him for who he was.

Stiles smiled and bounced on his feet once he was beside her again. "What's next? Should I practice my breathing?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. Braeden nodded and motioned for him to get ready again.

Derek smiled a little and left them alone again so he could kill some time for a little while. After a while, he ended up patrolling the area of the outside of the house so he could take a look at the upgrades in their security. There were more cameras now and additional trip wires and small traps to alert them of intruders. He had to hand it to the group, they really knew how to work together and make things more secure.

When he stared at the camera, it slowly turned towards him before doing a slow nodding movement. Derek raised his eyebrows and waved before the camera went back to its normal rotation. So someone was behind the monitor too right now, that was good.

As he headed back towards the house, he spotted Malia sitting in a chair by the pool as she focused slicing an apple.

"Hey." Derek piped up. 

Malia glanced up at him for a moment before looking back down. "Hey. Is there something you need?"

"I wanted to apologize for what you overheard Braeden and I talking about." Derek replied.

"Did you work things out with Stiles? If so, there's no reason to apologize. Braeden is trying with him too, so I'm less annoyed with that whole thing."

Derek nodded slowly at that. "Braeden was just being cautious, I can understand that. It just wasn't worded as well as it could have been."

Malia shrugged a little and took a bite of her apple slice. "I guess. Is there anything else?"

"Kira mentioned that you and Stiles have a connection. May I ask what it is?" Derek asked.

Malia didn't answer for a while. "I had night terrors as a kid too. It was the same dream too, of being in a car accident. Finally, it happened one day and I lost my family, I don't remember all of it, just waking up in the hospital afterwards. I ended up in Eichen and they started experimenting on me. Those Wraith things that they mentioned, I think they wanted to make me one because I know I'm a little stronger and faster than I should be. I don't remember a lot of what they did, but sometimes I get flashes in my dreams of the painful experiments." She sighed and frowned to herself. "That's why I identify with Stiles. We were both trapped there for years and were test subjects."

Derek cringed and gave a slow nod. He felt guilty for the times he felt jealousy over her bond with Stiles. They both were connected because of their years of horrific experiences. "We'll take them down for you." He promised her.

Malia was relieved to not hear the stupid platitude of Derek saying he was sorry for her and nodded. "I know. I owe those bastards for what they did to us all."

Derek nodded and offered a small smile. "Stiles is lucky to have you on his side."

Malia smiled and nodded. "I know. He might be a spaz sometimes, but I like him."

"You're right about the spaz thing. I'm surprised he hasn't hurt himself in his training."

"He actually has." Malia stated with a snort. "He's fallen on his face many times. It's kind of entertaining to watch him get to where he can start focusing. He's just awkward."

Derek chuckled and shook his head when he could just picture Stiles' clumsiness. "He is and that's just who he is. I'll leave you alone though, I should figure out if Chris needs me for anything."

"Alright." She replied, sitting back and letting out a soft sigh at the movement.

Derek headed back inside and turned the corner, running into someone again. Once again, it was Jennifer.

"Oh, sorry." She said softly, letting out a light laugh as she lightly braced herself against Derek's arm.

"It's fine, I'm sorry too." Derek replied, looking her over to make sure she was more steady on her feet than last time.

Jennifer smiled widely and shook her head. "It looks like we're going to be making a habit out of this."

"As long as you're feeling okay, it's fine." Derek replied with a shrug. 

"Were you able to get any rest?"

"A little. I laid around for a while but I couldn't get much sleep." Jennifer shook her head and gave Derek's arm a soft squeeze before smiling.

Derek gave a sympathetic nod. "I understand completely. It's hard to sleep when you first get out."

Jennifer opened her mouth to speak but was stopped when Stiles spoke up. "Hey, Derek! We're gonna go swimming at the lake again in a few hours!" Stiles grinned before it faded at the sight of Jennifer touching Derek.

"Stiles, this is Jennifer. She's a new part of the team. Jennifer, this is Stiles."

Jennifer's face lit up at the sight of Stiles. "It's nice to meet you. Sorry I haven't seen you around, Kira just brought me here."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought you said Jordan brought you here."

Jennifer's eyes widened a little before she nodded. "Oh, right, yeah, I'm sorry, I meant to say Jordan. I guess I really am tired." She sighed and gave Derek's biceps a squeeze.

"It's okay, I understand." Derek murmured. 

Stiles stared at Jennifer before looking to Derek and smiling again. "Derek, I need some help with my sparring. Can you come with me?"

Derek nodded as Stiles stepped closer and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He didn't miss the way Stiles shot Jennifer a triumphant look and she let go of Derek's arm. "Alright, let's go. I'll see you in a little while, Jennifer."

"Alright, I'll see you soon." She smiled sweetly at Derek as Stiles led him away.

When they turned the corner, Derek glanced over and noticed the frown on Stiles' face. "What's the matter?" 

"I don't like her." Stiles replied simply.

"Why? She seems nice." Derek said with raised eyebrows.

Stiles gave a roll of his eyes. "You just caught her changing her story."

"She's exhausted and probably got the names mixed up." Derek replied with a shrug.

"So she mistook Jordan for Kira?" Stiles pressed. "And she was all over you."

Derek sighed and stepped back. "Is that what this is about? You're jealous?"

"No, that's not all this is about. I just don't like the feeling I'm getting from her." Stiles sighed and scratched at the back of his head. "Maybe I'm just on edge and feeling sensitive."

"Maybe you are. Whatever it is, it's making you irrational." Stiles' eyes widened at Derek's words.

"I'm being irrational?" Derek pursed his lips together before shrugging. Stiles' shocked expression soon faded into anger. "Fuck that and fuck you for saying that. There's something up with her." He snapped, turning on his heel and storming off.

Derek blinked slowly and frowned to himself. Part of him told him to go after Stiles and apologize, but another part of him...just didn't care. It kind of shocked him at the realization, yet it still felt apathetic.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put a rift between you two." Jennifer piped up.

Derek jumped and looked back at her. "I'm sorry you heard that."

Jennifer shook her head and smiled, patting his shoulder and resting her hand on his skin before giving him a soft squeeze. "That's perfectly fine. He has every right to be cautious."

Derek stared into her eyes for a moment and nodded. "I should probably apologize."

"I wouldn't, not yet. Give him a chance to calm down. You're both probably just tense." She smiled wider and Derek felt the part of him that cared fade again.

"Yeah. I'll do it before we go to the lake. Maybe you can come." He suggested, figuring it would help welcome her and Stiles would feel more comfortable.

"I might. We'll see how I feel. I think I'm a little nauseous from not eating." 

"Maybe you should go to the infirmary. Deaton could probably either give you something to help with that or help you sleep." Jennifer's eyes widened briefly before she shook her head.

"Maybe later, I'm going to try to work it out on my own for now. I'll see you later." She smiled again before walking off and leaving him alone.

Derek watched her go before he started walking again, trying to think of what he could do for now.

He found Stiles in the sparring room again and slowly walked up to him. "Hey."

Stiles glanced over at him before he frowned and went back to hitting the punching bag. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you irrational."

"That was pretty fucked up." Stiles pointed out.

Derek nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "I just think you're a little sensitive right now and since we're together, you got protective. It's okay to get jealous."

"I thought this was supposed to be an apology. I don't know why, but I just don't like her." Stiles replied, staring at the punching bag.

"It's because you're jealous and bothered that she touched me. I understand why, you're used to having a lot of attention and you're not used to it being on someone else. You were jealous of Braeden too when we first got here, weren't you?"

Stiles tensed and slammed his fist against the bag. "You should leave."

"What's wrong?"

Stiles grit his teeth and glared over at him. "You need to leave me alone, Derek. I don't know what your fucking problem is, but I can't deal with it right now. This isn't some stupid love triangle bullshit, I'm telling you I don't trust her and you're turning it solely into a jealousy issue. I don't know why you're acting like this." Stiles sniffed hard and rubbed at his nose with the back of his hand. "Whatever, I don't care." He stated, looking away from him.

Derek nodded and left the room without another word, the dull thudding of Stiles' fists hitting the punching bag filling the silence.

 

He wandered the house for a few hours, stopping in the armory to do a checklist, or checking in on the office to see how everything was going. As he ventured through the hallway, he noticed something outside and paused to watch. Stiles was loading up one of the cars, carrying blankets, a first aid kit, and then what appeared to be a thick deflated pool float. He even grabbed the air compressor and put it in the back. Derek watched Stiles work, noticing how tense he looked. Maybe it was one of his feelings. Derek simply shrugged it off and started walking again. It wasn't his problem.

Half an hour after that, a big part of the group left for the lake again. Derek trailed behind, figuring he might as well go. Stiles avoided him as much as possible, ignoring his very presence as he headed to the car.

Scott glanced between them before walking over to Stiles. "Hey, what's going on between you and Derek today?" He whispered.

Stiles snorted and shook his head. "Fuck if I know. He's being a real dick today. I don't know what his problem is, but I'm not going to deal with it until he apologizes."

Scott nodded slowly and raised his eyebrows. "Do you want me to talk to him? I can if you want."

Stiles shook his head and opened the passenger's door. "That's not necessary. I can handle it myself." He replied. "So who's all going? Where's Allison?"

"Allison went on her afternoon walk. She said she'll be meeting us there soon." Scott replied. "I know most of the girls are going too, and then at least the three of us."

Stiles nodded and climbed into the car so Scott could get in the driver's seat and start it up.

 

Derek wanted to enjoy the lake, but found himself sitting on the beach and watching everyone else. Stiles was with everyone in the water, trying to have a good time but Derek would catch him frowning to himself or looking cautious when he thought no one was looking.

Occasionally, he'd look over to Derek before he would frown again and look away. Derek sighed and scratched at the back of his neck. He'd need to work on that apology.

 

Once Stiles had enough of the water, he sat on the shore, watching the lounge float he'd brought float around in the water. He rested his chin on his knees and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly as he tried to calm his mind down. He felt frenzied and hypersensitive. This petty fight with Derek wasn't helping matters either.

Stiles glanced over to him and sighed before closing his eyes again. He didn't understand what was going on between them when everything was perfectly fine yesterday. It saddened him that there was a strange rift between the two of them now and he didn't know what he could do to fix it. The thought of losing his relationship with Derek terrified him, but he was still angry too. He may have been a little jealous to see Jennifer holding onto Derek the way she was, but that wasn't why he didn't like her. Something about her felt...off.

Stiles sat up and looked around, doing a brief head count. Boyd and Isaac were in the water with Scott. Lydia was at the shore with Jordan. Malia and Kira had to run back to the house, and Allison was still on her walk. Erica was supposed to be on her way too.

Stiles felt his lip quiver and his fingers shake and cursed under his breath. He bit at his lip, balling his hands into fists and closing his eyes tightly. It was going to happen. He didn't know how soon it would be, but something horrible was going to happen. All day, the crack of thunder echoed faintly, just loud enough to jolt him out of his concentration.

"Hey, Stiles, come back in!" Scott called, grinning and waving at him.

Stiles have a small smile and opened his mouth to speak.

_Crack!_

Stiles snapped his jaw shut and covered his ears, exhaling shakily at the loud sound. No one else reacted to the noise and he knew that he was the only one that heard it.

"Stiles? Are you coming?"

Stiles looked over to Scott before looking towards the small cliff overlooking the lake. He clenched his jaw and quickly rushed to the shore, grabbing the float before he took off running down the beach. It was time.

 

"Stiles! Where are you going?" Scott shouted after Stiles as he rushed down the sand.

"Bring the car! We're gonna need the car!" Stiles shouted, glancing back to the confused group.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows as he stood, looking over at Jordan and exchanging a confused look.

_Crack!_

Derek jumped at the sudden noise and watched Stiles rush into the water before swimming quickly towards the cliffside.

"Oh god!" Lydia cried out, pointing to the cliff. That unnerving nightmare she had been having was coming true. Someone fell from the edge and dropped down into the water. The sight of it had Scott and the others running to the car. Derek climbed into the front seat, starting the car and driving quickly to get closer to them.

The car hadn't even come to a complete stop before Scott and Isaac were out of the car, running to the water before diving in once they were deep enough.

Lydia quickly rushed to the back of the car, laying the seats flat with Derek and Jordan's help so she could be ready with the first aide kit.

Derek watched Lydia work, trying to calm his pounding heart as they waited. He glanced over at the sound of splashing and saw the boys had made it back, dragging someone on the pool float. Boyd helped the three of them carry it to the car and Derek could see blood dripping onto the sand.

"Careful, she's been shot. Keep your hands pressed against the wound, you can do this. We're getting you help." Boyd spoke up, getting the float in the back of the car before stepping back to give Lydia room to work.

For the first time, Derek could finally see who exactly had been hurt.

It was Allison.

 

The ride back to the house was nothing short of chaos. Everyone spoke quickly while Lydia started her work. She couldn't get too far into it until she was at the house and had Deaton's help, but for now she could at least keep Allison calm and help with the pain while Scott kept pressure on the wound.

Stiles sat in silence, staring off into space and looking more pale than Derek had seen him before. Derek felt his feelings for Stiles trickle back as if his mind was coming out of a fog and wordlessly he slid his arm around his shoulder to comfort him.

Stiles tensed at the embrace before he relaxed and leaned against him. Derek could feel him shaking beneath his touch. He pressed a soft kiss to his temple and rubbed his shoulder.

"We can save her." Derek whispered. "You were right."

Stiles nodded and closed his eyes, trying to preserve his energy. He was exhausted from running and swimming that hard, but he was happy that he was right about the location and that they could do something about it.

When they pulled up to the house again, the guys got out so they could help open the back and let Scott carry her in to the infirmary. Derek looked back to Stiles and gently rubbed his arm. "Go get some rest, I'm going to let Chris know what happened."

Stiles blinked slowly before he nodded and headed into the house. Derek sighed and scratched at the back of his neck before heading to check the office. Chris was still in there, writing up a list.

Derek swallowed hard and knocked at the door frame before stepping in. "Chris, there's something you need to know."

"What is it?" Chris asked, still looking at the notepad as he wrote across it.

"Someone attacked Allison while she was on her walk. She was shot."

Chris tensed and quickly rose to his feet. "Where is she? How bad is it?"

"She's in the infirmary, Deaton and Lydia are going to take care of her. She wasn't conscious when they got her out from the back of the car, but Lydia said she would be okay."

Chris nodded and left without another word. Derek sighed and headed to the bedroom, wanting to see if Stiles was there. Stiles sat against the headboard, his knees pulled to his chest as he stared off into space. Derek brushed his lips against his forehead, causing Stiles to blink and come out of his trance.

"What's going on?" Stiles asked softly.

"I'm not sure, I just let Chris know what was going on. Are you okay?" Stiles shook his head and held his arms out to Derek. Derek took him in his arms and rested his chin on his shoulder.

"I keep thinking that yeah, it's good that we were there and that we brought her back quickly, but I could have done more. Maybe if I had gone where she had fallen from, I could have stopped it."

Derek shook his head as he rubbed Stiles' back. "You can't blame yourself for something like that. You did what you could and she would have died if you hadn't have brought us there."

Stiles nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes tightly. "Do you think it was more guards? I don't know how they could have found us."

Derek shrugged and pulled away. "All I know is that everyone will be on high alert, so I'll probably help in the patrolling to make sure that we won't get a surprise attack."

Stiles nodded and rubbed his hands, trying to warm them up. Derek realized then that he was cold and pulled away to go grab him a shirt and a towel. Once Stiles put the shirt on, Derek dried his hair off and pressed a kiss to his head. "What do you want me to do?"

"For now, rest. If we need you later, I'll let you know." He murmured, resting his hand on the back of his neck.

Stiles closed his eyes and nodded silently before he sighed out. "I was jealous." He admitted. "I guess since you're the first person I've ever really loved, I'm afraid that you'll find someone better than me since our relationship isn't exactly normal. Everything about it is my fault. I...I'm sorry for everything I've ever done."

Derek swallowed hard, feeling Stiles shake under his touch. "It's okay to feel a little jealous sometimes. I'm sorry for what I said to you, I don't even know where it came from. I won't leave you, I promise." Stiles didn't look at him, so Derek tilted his chin up so he could look into his eyes and give a small smile. Stiles briefly looked into his eyes before he lowered his gaze again and sniffled. "It's Gerard's. It doesn't matter though, you know why? I told you that I love you, and I meant it. I don't blame you for anything because it wasn't your fault."

Stiles nodded and dropped his forehead against his shoulder. "Thank you. I'm so sorry." He whispered.

Derek rubbed his back to comfort him and kissed his head again. "I know, and it's okay. I won't leave you."

Stiles nodded and gripped at Derek's shirt. "Thank you...I'll try to be nice to Jennifer, but I don't like her. I don't know, maybe it was because I was sensitive to all the feelings I was having today?"

"It's okay, just take your time. It's already been a really long day for you, so I want you to just get plenty of rest."

Stiles nodded and sighed before sitting back. "I will, thanks."

Derek kissed his forehead one more time before leaving him alone. He found Jordan downstairs and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, Parrish, I need to ask you something."

Parrish looked back at him before nodding, following Derek to the office. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just had a few questions. About Jennifer? You're the one that brought her in, right?"

"The nurse? Yeah, I was told to bring her and another in." Parrish replied, causing Derek to frown. There was someone else too? He'd only seen Jennifer. "It's actually kind of amazing too, because the other one turned out to be Patient 146."

Derek's eyes widened at that. "You found the other one?"

Parrish nodded at that. "Yeah, I've seen him wandering a little. I'm surprised you haven't seen him yourself."

 

Upstairs, Stiles heard the door creak open and let out a soft sigh. "Hey, did you forget something?" He asked, sitting up and looking over before his eyes widened. That wasn't Derek.

A boy his age stood at the door, blue eyes twinkling as he grinned at Stiles. "Were you expecting someone else?" Theo asked, raising his eyebrows as he leaned against the wall.

Stiles opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find the right words. "Wait...How did...How?" He stammered.

"Just escaped one of the hospitals in Oregon. We heard word from Jordan that you were here so we came down to join up. I can't believe you're still around, although you did give everyone a hard time."

Stiles laughed and scratched at the back of his neck. "What can I say? I always was a fighter." He said softly, smiling a little. His smile soon faded and he frowned. "What happened to you? Did they do anything to you?"

Theo's eyes widened before he shrugged. "Sort of, there's things I can do that no one else can. I can't control it yet though."

Stiles nodded a little at that. "Yeah, me too. They made me a freak."

"I wouldn't look at it like that. They tried to manipulate us and we're gonna be the ones taking them down. Think of it as payback for everything they've done to us."

Stiles have a slow nod at the reasoning. It would be nice to take them down with what they had created in the first place. "That's true." He whispered, drumming his fingers on his lap before looking up to him. "I'm glad that you got out safely."

Theo nodded and smiled back at him. The same grin from when they were kids in the clinic. "You too. I could never figure out if they had kept you or if something happened after they transferred me. We'll talk more later though. You look exhausted."

Stiles sighed and dragged his hand down his face. "Yeah, I am pretty wiped out. I'll catch up with you later." He murmured, closing his eyes.

Theo nodded and stepped away from the wall. "Alright, get plenty of rest." He replied, smiling widely before leaving Stiles alone to rest.

 

Derek only talked with Jordan for a while longer before leaving him alone to go look at their archive folders. He was starting to feel drained from the day's events, but he didn't want to go to sleep until he knew that everything was taken care of and that they were safe. He also wanted to see if he could find any information on how to deal with the Wraiths if they had to fight them.

After a few hours, Derek headed to make something to eat in the kitchen. He put together a sandwich and grabbed a bag of chips before heading back out to go towards the study. Lydia almost walked into him and she let out a sigh of relief. "Hey, Allison is waking up. I thought you might want to know." She said softly.

Derek's eyes widened a little before he nodded. "She's okay?"

"Yeah, we had to give her some blood, but she'll be fine. The bullet hit just right and didn't hit anything major. She got really lucky." Derek nodded and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. She looked absolutely exhausted and on the verge of falling over.

"You did a great job, thank you for everything you've done." He told her.

Lydia gave him a tired smile and nodded. "Thanks. I'm going to grab a snack and then go to bed. The next few days are probably going to be long ones."

"Yeah, I don't doubt that. I've been trying to find anything that will help." Derek replied before nodding his head towards the hall. "Go on ahead and rest. We'll let you know if anything happens."

Lydia nodded and stretched her arms above her heard as she started to walk past him. "Alright, thank you." She replied before entering the kitchen.

 

Stiles wandered down the hallway, crossing his arms over his chest as he let out a yawn. He tilted his head side to side to pop his neck, closing his eyes and briefly tensing before he'd relax at each pop. He continued to search for Derek, wanting to check in with him and see if he could get him to come to bed. He figured Derek would have to be more than a little exhausted at this point.

He checked every room on his way down the hallway, soon stopping at the study when he heard the rustling of papers. He peeked in the room, curious to see who was there.

Jennifer was leaned over the desk, going through the files and setting some aside in a separate pile. Stiles frowned and watched her take some papers out of each one before she would put them in a different folder from her pile.

"What are you doing?" Stiles finally asked, announcing his presence as he entered the room, looking more than a little unimpressed.

Jennifer quickly stood upright and stared at him with a startled expression on her face. "Nothing. I was bringing Derek some coffee to thank him."

"Oh really? Because it looked to me like you're trying to get information." He pointed out, raising his eyebrows.

"I think you have the wrong idea of me, Stiles, I only want to help you guys." Jennifer replied with a smile before she offered out the mug that had been resting on the desk. "Here, I can just go make another one for Derek. I'd really like for us to be able to get along."

Stiles looked from the mug to her expression. She looked sincere enough, so he reached out and took the mug from here. "Maybe we did get off on the wrong foot, a lot has happened today. I guess I've just been on edge." He murmured, raising it to his lips before taking a few long gulps of the warm and sweet liquid.

He felt a cold breath on his ear before hearing the other Stiles. _"You shouldn't have done that."_

Stiles tensed and felt chills run down his spine and a brief wave of dizziness. He closed his eyes tightly before exhaling a shaky breath.

He could briefly hear her muffled talking before it finally began clear again. "Are you alright? Stiles?"

When he opened his eyes again, Jennifer was standing in front of him. Stiles swallowed hard and shuddered when he felt a cold chill, the suddenness of it brushing against his hands made him drop his coffee in shock. _"You shouldn't have done that,"_ the voice repeated to him.

Stiles snapped out of it as the mug shattered on the ground and took a step back, staring at the mess of dark liquid and shattered red ceramic on the wood floor.

"Stiles? What's wrong?"

_"She did something to it..."_

"What did you do to it?" He asked in a quiet tone, raising his gaze to her.

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything to it. I just was trying to be nice." Jennifer pointed out.

_"She's lying. She's been lying this whole time. She did something. Don't trust her."_

"You're lying." Stiles hissed through clenched teeth. "You put something in it." Stiles' eyes widened when he felt the room start to spin and tried to shake it off, but the feeling only grew worse.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the smile of Jennifer's face.

 

Derek stood in the hall for a few moments longer before he headed down the hallway, seeing light peeking out from where the study door stood slightly ajar.

Derek stepped closer and lightly pushed it open, seeing that the room was still empty. He walked in so he could carry on reading but stopped at the sound of a crunch beneath his boot clad foot. When he looked down, he saw the mess of a broken coffee cup. Derek sighed and went to go grab a towel so he could clean up the mess. 

When he stood again to throw the pieces away, he noticed the files on the desk had been rearranged. Derek pursed his lips together, feeling a nagging feeling tugging at him as he set down the towel. He began to feel the cold, creeping sensation that something was wrong.

Derek left the room with fast and heavy footsteps, going right to the bedroom to check on Stiles. He found the bed empty and frowned, turning around and heading out of his room to search for him. His panic rose more and more with every single room he opened without finding Stiles. Where the hell could he have gone?

Stiles wasn't in the house and he wasn't outside. Did he sleepwalk again? With what happened to Allison that day, it could not have been a worse time for Stiles to have gone out alone like that. Derek checked with each person he ran into and quickly realized that he hadn't seen Jennifer either. He didn't like that possible combination either since Stiles really was apprehensive about Jennifer.

"Scott!" Derek called when he spotted him down the hall.

Scott stopped walking and turned to Derek in confusion. "Hey, Derek. What's wrong?"

"Have you seen Stiles anywhere?"

Scott shook his head and frowned a little. "Not since we got back from the lake. Is everything okay?"

"Not really, no one has seen him for hours and I think he might have wandered off again. I'm going to get a few people together and go looking for him."

"You can count me in." Scott replied. "He could have gone back to that bonfire area. I know where we found it so we can look there first."

Derek nodded and nodded his head towards the end of the hall. "I'm going to get some more people together. I'll meet you at the front door? Make sure you have a gun too, we don't know who's out there."

Scott's eyes widened a little when he realized just how serious this was before he nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'll see you soon."

 

Stiles awoke to the prick of a needle in his arm before feeling a cold liquid run through his veins. "What are you doing?" He whispered.

"Making it so you can't use your powers against any of us." Jennifer replied, dropping his arm and smiling as she crouched down beside him. "It's funny, you're just as much of a nuisance as I remembered."

Stiles glared weakly at her before closing his eyes again. The effects of the drugs made his head feel like it was swimming. His whole body felt heavy and he could barely move.

"This is him? He doesn't seem like much of a fighter." A woman's voice piped up. Stiles opened his eyes and recognized the two other people. The woman that spoke was the woman that attacked him in the hospital. The man, he had tried to kill them with an ax. He couldn't remember their names though.

"I heard he's a killer, he just needs a little push." The man smirked, causing Stiles' eyes to widen.

"You need to let me go. I won't go with you." Stiles whispered and the man just laughed.

"Or what? You can't exactly fight right now. You're even weaker than a normal human, isn't that right freak?" Stiles closed his eyes tightly and pushed himself to sit up, biting back a whine when he felt like he was going to throw up.

"Fuck you." He spat.

Ennis growled and lunged forwards. Before Stiles could process it, he was being held off of the ground, Ennis' hand tightly around his throat. "What was that? We may have orders to take you back alive, but they never said you had to be in one piece." He snarled.

Stiles clawed at his hand, squeezing his eyes shut as he gasped for breath. He opened his eyes again and spat on Ennis' face.

"You fucking brat!" Ennis shouted, slamming his free fist against Stiles' face before dropping him. Before Stiles could catch his breath, Ennis' foot collided with his stomach forcing him to promptly vomit on the ashen ground. Stiles wheezed and gasped for air, squeezing his eyes shut when they glazed over. He could only taste bile and blood from the cut in his mouth from getting punched. He couldn't focus on the pain in his abdomen or his face long when Ennis roughly yanked his head up by his hair.

"You want to keep trying to be tough? I don't give a shit what the old man wants, I could kill you right fucking now." Ennis snarled at him.

"That's enough." Another voice piped up, Stiles' blood running cold when he recognized it. "You're treating our guest very rudely, Ennis. Let go of him and worry about him later."

Ennis growled and threw Stiles back down on all fours, watching him drop his head as he stepped away from him.

"I apologize, Stiles, he has very little tact when it comes to welcoming our guests." Stiles felt his hands shake as he tried to keep himself upright.

"Y...You can't...You can't be here...You're dead." Stiles wheezed as the man crouched down beside him.

"To quote Mark Twain, 'The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.'" The man took off his sunglasses and Stiles looked into eyes that didn't quite meet his gaze. "I have you to thank for that though, Stiles. What do you say we catch up?"

Stiles watched in fear as Deucalion smiled widely at him.

Dr. Deucalion Morgan.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say thank you all for the kind words I've been receiving from you! I'm blown away by how much you've been saying you're enjoying the story!
> 
> And of course, a few days ago, I wished that I could focus better on writing quickly without anything to distract me, and I ended up being stuck in the hurricane with no power for over two days. That's plenty of time to write without any distractions. Whoops!

Stiles breathed heavily, terror prickling at him like the pine needles stabbing at his bare arms. He felt like throwing up again.

The very man that made him terrified to use his powers was standing in front of him. Deucalion was a little different now, but he definitely the same person that Stiles remembered from the facility.

Deucalion drummed his fingers on his cane and gave Stiles a smile. "Are you afraid?"

"No." Stiles hissed, his voice cracking as he spoke and betraying him. "I...I saw you die."

"You saw me die in one of your little intuition dreams. I was in a accident, that part was correct, but I survived it. We decided to fake my death instead and I got to lead a new project. You've at least seen a little of it now from Ennis."

"So what do you want from me?" Deucalion tsked and smiled widely.

"Don't be so impatient. You'll find out soon enough, dear boy." He reached out, patting his cheek before standing again. He turned his head towards the left before speaking again, "Jennifer, be a dear see if the others are coming, please. We are on a time limit, after all."

Jennifer nodded and gave Stiles a sweet smile. "Of course." She replied, stepping close to Stiles so she could ruffle his hair. Stiles retaliated by spitting on her shoes. For once, he wished he had thrown up, but the blood filled saliva worked just fine. The look of disgust on her face was worth getting knocked over the head by Ennis.

Stiles momentarily blacked out, coming back to his face pressed against the soot and dirt. He coughed and pushed himself back up, scowling up at Ennis' smirking face.

"How did a bunch of psychopaths gets out of the locked ward in the first place?" Stiles asked, looking to Deucalion.

"Have you ever asked yourself that? If anyone needs to be locked up, it's you. You're little more than a ticking time bomb after all." Ennis shot back.

"Easy, Ennis. I apologize, Stiles, they both have a bit of a short fuse, but I assure you, the only harm that will come to you are the few bruises you'll sustain."

Stiles couldn't stop from rolling his eyes. "And this is coming from the asshole that electrocuted me until I'd pass out. You're the worst of them all, I was relieved when I'd heard you died. Pity."

Deucalion smiled wider and Stiles felt a sharp sting when he was struck in the face with the cane. He cursed and lifted his hand to rub his stinging cheek, glaring up at the man.

"I can't keep your injuries minimal if you continue to test me, Stiles. How would your bond mate feel if I let Ennis start breaking bones?"

Stiles quickly snapped his jaws shut and kept his gaze lowered. Stiles might have had a mouth on him, but he wasn't an idiot. He needed to be in his best possible shape if he was going to kill Deucalion.

 

Derek followed Scott into the woods, flashlight in one hand and his gun in the other. He just prayed that Stiles had wandered off in his sleep and wasn't in danger. His need to protect Stiles was skyrocketed and he felt a frenzy of emotions. Fear, anxiety, and a rage that was just waiting to be unleashed if someone laid a finger on Stiles. He even felt glimpses of the foreign terror, terror that belonged to Stiles. The deeper they got into the woods, the stronger it felt.

He quickly veered his light to the left when he heard a twig snap, his gun raising in his other hand. His heart pounded wildly as he listened to the footsteps and he held in his breath.

Jennifer came through the trees before cringing and shielding her eyes. "H-Hey, it's just me!" She exclaimed. "Oh, thank god it's you, Derek."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows and slowly lowered his gun. So she was out here too? "Where's Stiles?"

"I saw him walk off into the woods, so I followed him to see what was going on, and I need your help! He's hurt and I can't get him back on my own." Derek felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

That definitely explained why he felt the fear if Stiles was out in the dark forest alone again. "Show us." He demanded, motioning with his flashlight for Jennifer to lead the way.

Jennifer nodded and headed back down the way she had come. Scott and Isaac followed close behind Derek as he rushed after Jennifer. She bolted through the forest, ducking under low branches and darting around the thick trees.

"Wait, slow down!" Scott called after her, nearly losing her from how fast she was running.

Derek ran faster, gripping his flashlight tighter as the light flailed wildly with each rapid swing of his arms. Something at the back of his mind told him that this didn't feel right, but none of it did. He pushed the uneasy thoughts aside, focusing on ones of Stiles instead. Stiles was hurt somewhere alone again and he was probably getting really cold.

He burst through the clearing where the bonfire was and skidded to a stop. He stared with wide eyes at the sight before him, recognizing some of the people.

Kali and Ennis from the locked ward stood beside someone he recognized from the videos. One of the doctors that experimented on Stiles, only now he was blind and had some scars running along the side of his face.

Under Ennis' foot, Stiles lay gasping for air from where he was being choked.

"Let him go!" Derek demanded, raising his gun and aiming right for Ennis' face.

Ennis smirked at Derek. "I'll snap his neck before you even pull the trigger."

"Ennis, you're being rude again." The doctor replied offhandedly, turning his head towards where Ennis stood. "They came all this way to greet us, and you know the rules of the game."

Ennis growled and stepped off of Stiles, kicking the gasping boy in the ribs to roll him to his side. Derek cringed when Stiles threw up and his urge to kill Ennis rose.

"First of all, it's nice to finally meet you, Derek. You're quite the big story back at Eichen." The doctor piped up, offering Derek a smile. "My name is Deucalion, we're here to offer you all a message."

"Like the message of shooting Allison?" Scott growled, glaring at the three people.

"That was one message. You can thank Kali for that, since she got a little excited. Although, we can agree that the important thing is that she lived, right?" Derek tensed at Jennifer's voice and stared in shock as she came around and leaned against Kali. "Now you just have to follow our next directions carefully."

"You're one of them?" Derek questioned, motioning angrily at the others. "Stiles was right about you, the whole time."

"He was, but it didn't matter at the time. Stiles isn't the only one that has a few tricks up his sleeve." Jennifer smirked, raising her eyebrows. "Every single time I touched you, I got the chance to warp your mind little by little. Did you notice how quickly you stopped caring about him? Of course, the bad thing is that the more we were away from each other, the quicker it faded so you'd run back to him. It's a shame, if I had worked it more, the game would be over right now and we wouldn't have to spill any more blood."

Derek grit his teeth and forced himself to look at Deucalion. "Why are you here? What is this 'game' you keep mentioning?"

Deucalion smiled wider at him. "Gerard has a proposition for you. If you give Stiles back, every single one of you can go free with a clean slate. You can go back to your happy little life without any worries, Derek."

"And if we say no?" Derek asked tersely. 

Deucalion smiled wider at the quick response. "I wouldn't decide just yet, Derek. Gerard has given you twenty-four hours to make your choice. If you do not bring him back to this place before your time is up, we will come to the house and kill every single one of you before taking him anyways. If you try to take him and run before then, we will kill you. I hope you make the right decision." Deucalion turned around before motioning the others to follow.

"What if I want to fight right now?" Derek called after him, tightening his grip on his gun as he debated on shooting at the back of his head.

"Then you'll lose." Deucalion replied simply, not even bothering to face him again as he continued, "I'll return for Stiles tomorrow, one way or the other."

Derek waited until he couldn't see or hear their footsteps anymore before rushing to Stiles' side and helping him sit up. "Hey, I'm here." He said softly, wiping the blood from Stiles' lips with the sleeve of his henley.

Stiles lowered his gaze and leaned forwards until his forehead touched Derek's shoulder. "I can't move much. Jennifer was going through our files. I tried to give her a chance despite it, and the asshole drugged me." He murmured in a slurred voice, raising his hand to his discolored throat. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.

Derek nodded and kissed his head before hooking his arm beneath Stiles' legs, bracing his arm around the other so he could lift him. Stiles shivered and buried his face in Derek's chest, squeezing his eyes shut as he shuddered out a breath.

"What are we going to do?" Stiles whispered to him, casting his gaze up to Derek for a brief moment.

"We're going to fight. We don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice." Stiles pointed out as he rested his head back against Derek's shoulder.

Derek clenched his jaw and only shook his head. He wasn't going to argue about this with Stiles. Not right now.

The rest of the way home was silent with the exception of Scott notifying the others that they didn't need to look anymore, but that they'd have to have a meeting when everyone got back.

"Do you want to go up to the bedroom?" Derek asked Stiles once the house was in view.

Stiles shook his head. "I want to be there for the meeting."

Derek nodded and carried Stiles to the meeting room before setting him down. Stiles thanked him but kept his gaze down. Derek didn't have to guess what Stiles was thinking about; he could easily imagine it. He knew that Stiles was thinking about sacrificing himself for the others and letting Eichen take him.

Derek refused to let that happen.

Once everyone was in the room, Derek started to relay the message Deucalion had given them. "We were given a choice. Either give Stiles up to them and go free, or fight them to the death and lose Stiles anyways. They gave us twenty-four hours to decide. They're the ones that attacked Allison."

"Obviously we fight then. There's nothing to discuss." Malia stated with a frown on her face. "We're not giving anyone up, that's not how we work."

Chris' frown deepened as he balled his hands into fists. "I agree. They've already caused enough harm, we won't let them get away with it."

Stiles watched silently as everyone started to agree, bouncing his foot as he rested his hand over his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut before yelling out, "Enough!"

The room quickly silenced and all eyes were on him. "I'm not going to be responsible for any more bloodshed. I don't want to argue about this anymore either! This whole time, it's always been about me and everything has been my fault, so I get to make the decision. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Not for me. I'm not worth anyone's life."

"We don't know that Eichen would even keep their word. They already hurt Allison without a thought aside from wanting our attention, so I don't think they're against taking us all out anyways. They'll be watching us, Stiles." Scott pointed out.

"It doesn't matter, I'll make them promise not to hurt anyone." Stiles argued.

Derek slammed his hand down on the table and cut him off. "This isn't negotiable, Stiles. You're not going to throw your life away either!"

Stiles snapped his jaws shut, a look of fear and anger in his eyes before he cursed and lowered his head. "It doesn't matter, I want you all to be safe."

"We won't be for sure safe if you leave. We'll only be safe after we take them all out. We're going to fight, Stiles. We will win."

"Fine." Stiles whispered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Derek sighed and let everyone else take over so he could walk over to him and place his hands on his shoulders. "Have faith in me, we can do this."

"It's not that I don't have faith in you. I have more faith in you than anyone, it's that I don't want anyone else getting hurt trying to protect me. I just want everyone to be safe."

"We will be, but we're not sacrificing you to ensure our safety. We're going to all fight together and take them down ourselves. This doesn't change anything."

Stiles sighed and rested his forehead on Derek's shoulder. "Okay....Okay..."

Derek sighed and pressed a soft kiss to Stiles' head. "It will be okay. I promise you we can get through this and we'll make it out. All of us."

Stiles lifted a hand to cover his face as he squeezed his eyes shut. Derek sighed and rubbed his back before pulling away. "Let's get you back in bed. Can you move yet?"

Stiles shook his head. "I still can't really feel my legs. It's just that static numbness."

Derek gave a nod and lifted him again so he could carry him to the bedroom. Once they were there, he set Stiles on the bed and pulled away to grab a washcloth out of the bathroom and wet it. He returned once he wrung it out and cleaned Stiles up, from the dried blood on his face to the soot on his hands.

"You remember that promise I tried to have you make? When we first escaped?" Stiles asked quietly without looking at Derek.

"You asked me to kill you if Eichen ever tried to take you back." Derek mumbled.

"I still mean it. If it comes down to it and we're the last people standing..." Stiles trailed off and lowered his head.

Derek nodded and rested a hand on the back of his neck. "If it was in that case, I would probably do it. Just know that I would be right behind you."

Stiles nodded and sat back. "Anyways, moving on from this very morbid subject, as soon as the drugs wear off, I'm going to practice more. If we're going to fight, I'm going to use everything I've got in this battle."

Derek smiled a little and nodded in agreement. "We'll win." He replied, getting Stiles a change of clothes before helping him. He noticed the sight of the bruises forming across his torso and tightened his jaw as he felt anger bubble up in his chest.

Stiles nodded and leaned back until he was flat on the bed once he was changed. "I know." He murmured, resting his hands on his stomach before he sighed and closed his eyes. 

Derek pulled the blankets over him and kissed his head again. "Get some sleep, we'll work on a lot of training once you wake up."

Stiles reached up to take Derek's hand and lightly tugged him forwards. "Stay." He whispered.

Derek debated it for a moment before nodding and toeing his shoes off before he took off his jeans. He then climbed into bed with Stiles and slid his arm around his shoulders so Stiles could rest his head on his chest. "Do you want to talk more?"

Stiles pursed his lips as he rested his arm across Derek's chest. "I don't know. Everything in me is screaming to run from the group."

Derek nodded at that. He could understand the thought process. "But you're not."

Stiles nodded and looked up to him, pressing his lips together momentarily. "And I won't. I don't know what will happen, but I want to stick with everyone. You're right, we can get through this if we work together."

Derek nodded and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you. I know this is really hard for you. I can't imagine what you've been through, but I'm glad you're willing to fight."

Stiles gave him a small smile, despite the worry in his eyes. "It's the least I can do for everything they've done to us, right?"

"That's the spirit." Derek replied before rubbing his back. "Now go back to sleep, it's been a really long day."

Stiles snorted and shook his head. "And it's only going to get longer, don't remind me." He murmured, dropping his head back on Derek's chest.

Derek smiled at that and pressed a kiss to his head. He continued to rub Stiles' back until they both fell asleep.

 

Derek awoke just after four in the morning and headed right down to the armory. Chris was putting everything together, making sure that they had enough ammunition for the big fight. He glanced over to Derek and gave a nod. "Morning."

"Morning." Derek replied, taking a seat across from him so he could help him with the loading.

"Tonight's going to be a big night." Chris noted, setting a gun aside into a duffle bag.

"It will be, but we can do it. I'm just trying to figure out what the best method would be. We could head out in teams, or we could wait for them to come to us. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of either. All I know for sure is that I won't be letting Gerard get what he wants."

"I lost my brother because of Gerard, my wife, and now I've almost lost my daughter." Derek's eyes widened in surprise. He'd never heard about what happened to Allison's mother.

Chris glanced up and caught the expression. "It happened when we were taking the first group. It's when I technically resigned from my role. My wife led another group out when we ran, her group was ambushed. None of them made it. I swore to myself that I would ever lose anyone I cared about to Eichen ever again. I'm not about to let you lose Stiles."

Derek nodded and paused in loading a pistol, resting his hand on the base once it locked into place. "What about Kate? Do you still care about her?"

Chris pursed his lips together in thought before he sighed and scratched at the back of his head. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a sister. There are times that I wish we could go back to how things were, but she's just as sociopathic as our father, if not worse. I know that she's beyond redemption and would kill us all if it would make him happy."

"Stiles told me my uncle will kill Kate. So going along with that, it makes me certain that we will get through this fight, go straight to wherever Gerard is hiding, and end this once and for all."

"I won't stop anyone from killing Kate. She didn't try to stop our brother's death, so I'll return the favor." Chris replied with a shrug. "As for your ideas, we'll figure it out soon. Either way, we'll be in teams. If we go to the woods, we'll pretend to turn Stiles in. The only problem is that the trees give them as many hiding spots as they do us. In the house, we have more chances to hide and get the jump on them, but they can also set fire to the house and smoke us out again. There is definitely not an easy way out of this one."

Derek nodded and bounced his leg as he thought. "We'll discuss it again with everyone. We'll also run through some last minute training with Stiles and a few others to make sure they can handle themselves in a fight. I don't know what all these Wraiths are capable of, but I'm not sure I really want to find out."

"You and me both. Just the footage we saw of the big guy was enough. Needless to say, it's best if you don't let him get his hands on you."

Derek nodded in agreement before frowning to himself. "I need to go check something."

"Is everything okay?" Chris asked with raised eyebrows.

"I'm not sure, I just need to check something." He replied before heading out to the study again.

He grabbed one of the stacks of files and began flipping through them, examining the photographs in each one of them. His eyes soon widened and he set the folder down, staring at the picture smiling up at him.

_Dr. Jennifer Blake,_  
Associate ID number: 147-869  
Level 6 clearance, assistant to Dr. Morgan.  
Specializes in hypnosis and is there to help calm patients down. May also be useful with domesticating Feral patients. 

Derek slammed his fist on the table and cursed to himself. _Fuck, she really was one of them._ Stiles had mentioned that she was going through their files and this obviously was what she was trying to find. It even explained why she wouldn't go get checked out by Deaton. If Deaton knew the teams of the main doctors, it was more than likely that he would probably recognize her. 

Derek shook his head and tossed the folder aside, balling his hands into fists as he tried to stop his shaking. He was so tired of Eichen using him, and for what? To try and turn him away from Stiles? What the hell was the point of the stupid fucking emotional bond then? He yearned for the day he could unload a clip into Gerard's face. It was fair to say that it was the least he deserved.

"What did you find?" Chris asked asked to fill the silence. Derek looked up to see him leaning against the doorway.

"Jennifer, that nurse that came recently? The one that abducted Stiles and started this? She's been in the company for years. There's this thing she can do...she touches people and can manipulate them." Derek explained, shaking his head and taking a seat. "She's always been a part of Deucalion's group."

"She'll die then." Chris replied with a shrug. "We're not going to leave a single person alive in that group. And it's not even about revenge for what they did to my daughter, all of them are too dangerous to be left alive."

"I agree." Derek replied, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't know how many there are on different little teams, but we're not going to take any chances."

 

Derek and Chris stayed busy with the first preparations until some of the others started to wake up around seven. Stiles was up around ten, but Derek noticed that he kept to himself and did his own thing. Every time he'd get ready to ask him if he was alright, someone else pulled him into another task that they'd his need help with.

Scott and Isaac helped separate the weapons that Derek and Chris had prepared so they'd be ready for each person to grab. Boyd and Erica were heading to keep a perimeter watch through the cameras so they wouldn't get any surprises from the Wraiths if they decided to strike early. Last he'd checked, Lydia and Deaton were prepping the infirmary for any potential injuries that would happen in the battle, and Lydia was checking on Allison every now and again.

Allison was conscious at the time, but she was definitely not going to be fighting quite yet.

"I hate feeling so useless when so much is going on. I can't help anyone like this." She had mumbled, gripping the sheets of the bed tightly.

"I understand how you must be feeling, but what matters right now is your recovery. You'll get to pay Eichen back for this soon." Lydia smiled, patting Allison's hand.

Allison glanced up and gave a nod. "Yeah."

"Lydia's right. It sucks being really hurt and wanting to help everyone, but you're doing enough by healing." Derek piped up. "We're just happy that we got to you in time."

Allison nodded again before she sighed out. "Yeah, that's true. Thanks, you two."

Derek nodded and had left them alone after that so he could move on to whatever came up next. He noticed Stiles down the end of the hallway as he walked towards the armory, but before he could call out to him, Scott placed a hand on his shoulder and led him away as they talked about something. Derek sighed to himself and checked to make sure that everything was done in there instead.

 

At around four, the group ate. It wasn't anything majorly fancy, just sub sandwiches so they could all have something in their systems when it came time to battle. The plan was now to head out at dusk, when they'd still have just that little bit of sunlight on their side.

Derek grabbed his sandwich and looked around, spotting Stiles seated in the corner. He headed over to him and sat down so he could look him over again. Stiles glanced over to him and gave a nod as he chewed.

"How are you doing? I haven't gotten the chance to check on you yet."

Stiles shrugged and swallowed his food. "I'm doing okay. I think everything that Jennifer had in my system is all gone now. I can even wiggle all of my toes, not that you can see them." He joked, staring down at the red Converse shoes on his feet.

Derek cracked a smile and leaned over to kiss his head. "I'm glad. You seem like you're worried though."

"I'm a natural born worrier. It's mostly just nerves, since this is going to be the first time I've ever been in a fight so major. This will be the first time I can finally confront and take down one of the people that made me this way." Stiles replied, lifting his free hand before he closed it into a fist. "Although, I don't think I'll use my powers on Deucalion if I can help it. He doesn't deserve to know what my powers are like now."

"That's a good way of thinking. I'd only want you to use them in a worse case scenario anyways, since they take such a heavy toll on you when you overexert yourself."

"I promise I won't go too far. I'll only use them if I have to protect someone." He murmured, lifting his pinky before holding it out to Derek. 

Derek smiled and hooked his around Stiles'. "Okay, thank you. Do you feel comfortable with the gun Braeden has been training you to use?"

Stiles gave a nod. "Yeah, I think so. I should at least be able to land a few shots on one of them." He replied with a small smile.

Derek chuckled and rubbed his arm. "I don't doubt that you will. You're more capable than you realize."

Stiles nodded and lowered his hand to give Derek's thigh a gentle squeeze before smiling up at him. "Yeah, you're right. I'm going to go practice a little more, but I'll catch up with you in a little while?"

Derek nodded and kissed him briefly before pulling away. "Check in with me before we leave."

"I will." Stiles promised before getting to his feet so he could headed off towards the training room.

Derek watched him go and smiled to himself before he finished eating his sandwich. He had very little doubt in his mind that they could do this, especially since Stiles seemed to be in a better mood about it.

 

The final hour was filled with gathering the equipment and making sure that everyone would be all ready to leave and have their supplies at the ready. Derek lost track of Stiles until it was time to leave and found him at the front door once the first group prepared to leave.

Stiles was leaned against it and staring up at the chandelier that hung above the foyer.

"Stiles? Are you ready to go?" Derek asked, noticing that he didn't have any of his supplies.

Stiles looked to Derek and nodded before he sighed. "I'm sorry, Derek."

Derek didn't like the sound of that. "Sorry? Sorry for what?"

Stiles looked up again and Derek followed his gaze. Derek noticed as the the chandelier started to sway back and forth before it finally broke free of the chain and fell the the ground. Derek and the others jumped back as it shattered to pieces before Derek quickly looked up to Stiles again. Stiles threw open the door in the midst of the confusion and ran outside as Derek called after him.

"Stiles! Stop! What are you doing?" He shouted.

Stiles faced him again and let out a sigh. "I told you that I'm not going to let anyone else die for me. I love you, and just know that I'm sorry."

Derek shoved the metal frame of the chandelier aside and ran towards the door, only for it to slam shut. He could hear the loud slamming of the windows in the house shutting as well, knowing full well that Stiles was locking them in so they couldn't follow after him.

"Stiles, don't do this!" Derek shouted, slamming his fists against the door. He tried twisting the locks to no avail and cursed under his breath as he yelled again for Stiles to come back.

"Derek, it's no use. We can't get anything open." Scott piped up as he walked up to Derek once everyone else checked all the exits.

"I don't care." Derek snapped at him before cursing and hitting the door again. "He's going to get himself killed! I'm supposed to protect him, god damn it!" He clenched his teeth together when he split his knuckles from the force and only slammed his hand against it again.

"I know that, but you're not going to solve anything like this! You need to calm down so we can figure out what to do before he's taken." Derek glared at Scott before he pushed away from the door.

 

Stiles rushed through the forest, the beating of his heart pounding in time with the heavy thudding of his footsteps. He didn't want to do this, but he was left with no choice at this point. He didn't want to ever go back to Eichen, but if he had the chance to save everyone, to save Derek, he would do whatever it took.

His life meant nothing compared to everyone else that still had a chance to regain their normalcy.

He made it to the clearing and sighed out as he looked around for any sign of anyone. "I'm here!" He called.

"So, you came alone? That was a good decision. I can honestly say that I'm proud of you." Deucalion spoke up as he walked through the other side, followed by Ennis and Kali.

"I don't want any more blood shed for Gerard's stupid fucking fight. You promised that everyone would go free if I was given up. You'll keep that promise right?"

"Of course. All of your little friends will be granted amnesty from the center and they can return to their own lives once again. Especially since you're participating with us so well."

Stiles shook his head and bit back the urge to tell him to go fuck himself. "Are we going to get this over with or what?"

"Of course, Gerard will want you back as soon as possible." Deucalion replied, motioning to Ennis.

Ennis walked up to Stiles, brandishing a pair of shackles from his bag before smirking. "Raise your hands."

Stiles raised both hands and both middle fingers, which only made the smirk on Ennis' face widen. Ennis roughly locked the shackles around his wrist and made sure they were tight enough for Stiles to wince. He admired his handy work before pondering something.

"Oh, right, one more thing." He murmured before punching Stiles in the face and making his world go black.

Ennis lifted Stiles off of the ground and threw him carelessly onto his shoulder before turning to the others. "Let's take Gerard his package back." He said gleefully.

 

Back at the house, the others struggled trying to find an exit the worked until the sound of the locks clicked through the rooms. Derek furrowed his eyebrows and rushed to the door, sighing in relief when it finally opened. He grabbed his pack and turned towards the hallway, seeing some of the others rushing up with Scott in the lead.

"Come on, let's go!" Derek spoke up before running towards the woods. He just prayed that they could make it in time.

They reached the clearing in little time and Derek felt his heart fall when they found it empty. "Stiles!" He shouted, no longer caring at this point.

His shouting received no response, aside from the echoes of the others calling for Stiles as well.

Derek balled his hands into fists and swallowed hard. He was close to screaming and lashing out. He couldn't believe that Stiles had done this, that Stiles had given up when they were so close.

Stiles might have given them another day, but who knew for sure if Gerard would actually keep his word now that Stiles was back in his clutches.

"Stiles!" He shouted louder before listening for an answer.

When someone placed a hand on his shoulder, he whipped his head around and glared at the person. Malia paid no mind to his anger and kept her hand in place.

"Come on, Derek. We'll go back to the house and get ready to leave. This just means that our plans to infiltrate the main building will just come sooner than we figured. We'll get Stiles back, alive. I promise."

Derek nodded and closed his eyes tightly for a brief moment before he turned back towards the house and stalked back towards it. He silently promised himself to put multiple bullets in every single person that stood between him and Stiles once they got there.

Everyone regrouped once they made it back to the house so they could go over the plans.

"Almost everything is ready. After your uncle had arrived, we had started working on getting the keycards we'd need." Chris stated.

"They're almost finished." Peter assured Derek. "If anything, it will be a lot easier to get in because Gerard's main focus will be on Stiles for the foreseeable future."

Derek growled and stepped forwards, only for Scott to place a hand on his chest and stop him from hitting his uncle. "Derek, he's right. As horrible as it is, he's right. Stiles gave us the distraction we'd need. This is the opportunity that we've been looking for, and if we don't take the chance, Stiles' sacrifice will be for nothing."

"Then we better start fucking getting ready. I don't care how we do it or how dangerous it will get, Stiles will be leaving that building alive."

"That's never been off the table." Chris replied, keeping a cool composure despite Derek's enraged outbursts.

"Wait, you guys." Kira started, a confused expression on her face. "Someone's missing."

Derek frowned and looked around at all the faces in their group before his eyes widened. Kira was right, they were missing someone.

 

Stiles awoke on a cold white floor, his head throbbing from where Ennis had hit him. He squeezed his eyes shut and slowly sat up, finding his wrists were still shackled together. He cursed softly and lifted his hands so he could rub his face. When he lowered his hands and looked around, he realized he was in a white room that was devoid of all furniture.

He swallowed hard and tried to push down the shivers of uneasiness creeping up his spine.

"Hey, you're awake." His eyes widened at the voice and quickly whirled around to see Lydia sitting against the wall, a small smile on her face.

Despite the smile, he could see the terror in her eyes that she struggled to hide.

"No, no, no. Why are you here? Why did they bring you here too?" He asked, scooting closer to her and cupping her face. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?" He looked her over but didn't see any damage.

Lydia placed her hands on his and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I was tricked...I think I was drugged. All I remember is heading out of the infirmary with someone, and then waking up here."

"Can you stand?" Stiles asked, looking around the room before he pulled away and pushed himself to his feet.

"Yeah, I think I can." Stiles held his hands out to her so he could take one of hers and help her to his feet.

"I'm gonna get you out of here. I don't know how, but I'm gonna try."

"You know that's useless." He tensed at the voice and looked back to see Theo standing in the doorway, a smug smile on his face. "You know better than anyone just how hard it is to escape. Only this time, none of your little pawns are here."

Stiles growled. "They turned you? Fuck, Theo, it's not too late, let us go and you can come with. Theo, you know what they're doing is fucked up. Just as well as I do."

The smug look on Theo's face turned to pure rage. "You have no idea what I've been through!" He shouted, storming over to Stiles and back handing him hard enough for Stiles to taste the thick coppery tang of his blood. He let him fall to the floor and huffed out a laugh. "Stay down, Stiles. You know fighting makes everything worse."

Theo smirked and headed to the door when the phone rang so he could answer it. "Yeah?....Yeah, everything is all ready. You can start heading down.....Yeah, I'll keep them busy, don't worry."

Stiles swallowed the blood pooling in his mouth and got to his feet before he rushed at Theo. Before he could react, he slammed his head against the wall and watched him crumble to the floor when he passed out.

Stiles quickly found his keycard before he looked to Lydia. "Okay, we're gonna get out of here."

Lydia nodded and headed over to Stiles as he opened the door. "You need to promise me something, no matter what happens, if you see the chance, you run. You need to run and don't look back when we get the chance."

Lydia pursed her lips together before she shook her head quickly. "I'm not going to leave you."

Stiles sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead before smiling. "It's okay. You need to get away at least. Take this." He whispered, handing the key over before leading her out into the hall.

He was happy at least that it was empty. For now anyways. "Alright, we're going to run to the stairwell. We're gonna try just like last time. We're gonna run. Are you ready?" He looked back to Lydia and she nodded, swallowing hard and taking a deep breath.

"Okay. Ready." She whispered.

Stiles nodded and took one more look before they started to run. As they ran through the hallway, he took quick looks in the rooms as they passed.

Feral patients slammed into the windows as they passed, screaming mutely at them against the soundproof glass. Stiles cringed at the blood smeared on the windows from where they'd slam their bloody hands or faces.

"Don't look, don't look." He said quickly to Lydia. "Just focus on the exit."

Lydia nodded and ran faster, fighting the urge to look into the rooms. As they got deeper down the hallway, Stiles felt relief wash over him when he saw that the exit to the stairwell was in sight. They could do this, they were almost there. A strong hand grabbed Stiles by the back of his hoodie and yanked him roughly to the ground, forcing him to let go of Lydia's hand.

"Lydia, run!" Stiles screamed after her. "Don't look back, just fucking run!"

Lydia squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and ran faster despite the large part of her that screamed to help him. Stiles gasped out when a foot pressed against his throat before it applied pressure.

"How do we always end up here?" Ennis asked with a sigh. "You just keep doing whatever you can to fight, even when you know there's no use."

"Fuck you." Stiles wheezed out, glaring up at him and earning a laugh.

"I've gotta say really do like your spirit, despite how much of a brat you can be." Stiles heard a shout and a thud behind them and quickly turned his head as best as he could. His eyes widened at the sight of Lydia in a heap on the ground and Kali standing over her.

"Lydia..." His vision blurred as his eyes glazed over and he felt his throat tighten further. He had wanted to avoid this, wanted to avoid anyone else getting hurt, and just like everything else, this was all his fault.

Not for the first time, Stiles wished that he never even existed. _If you didn't, this would have happened to someone else..._ His mind unhelpfully reminded him. 

"I'm sorry." He rasped and heard Ennis start to laugh as he took his foot off of Stiles' throat.

"Aww, are you actually crying for your little friend? That's so sweet that the killer can actually cry. Don't worry, Gerard's going to keep her alive. He has plans for her too."

Stiles' eyes widened and he quickly tried to get to his feet, only for Ennis to kick him in the face and send him back down.

Stiles felt blood fill his mouth and pour out of his nostrils and struggled to breathe. He choked and rolled onto his side, spitting it out before he gasped for breath.

He quickly reached his hands for Ennis' leg, only to have his them kicked and stepped on. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for Ennis to step off of his hand before he slid his arms across the floor and lifted them to gently wrap his fingers around the edges of his pant leg. "I don't care...what happens to me...let her go. She has nothing...to do with this...please, I'll stay...I'll stay." His mind felt hazy and he could barely focus. He struggled through it, needing to keep Lydia safe. His friends needed to make it out of this nightmare okay.

Ennis smirked and stepped away from Stiles so his hands dropped to the ground. "It's so sweet that you're begging, but it's not up to me. You're going to have to ask the big guy." Stiles whined out and tried to prop himself up on his elbow as he opened his mouth to speak.

"And I'm afraid that I can't let her go." Stiles tensed at Gerard's voice and glanced up at him through his blurred vision.

Gerard smiled widely as he crouched down beside him and placed a hand on his cheek. "It's nice to see how much you care for her and your friends, but we have plans for you. Every single one of you. Welcome home, Stiles." Stiles squeezed his eyes shut and tried to stop from shaking as Gerard stood and gave a nod to Ennis. "Get them to their rooms, testing will start right away."

That was the last thing Stiles remembered hearing before his head dropped back to the ground and he passed out.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize a little in advance this chapter because when I let one of my best friends read it to get her opinion, she said 'If I didn't know any better, I'd think you hated Stiles' because of how brutal it gets. (I really don't hate him, I love him more than anything I promise)
> 
> All I can say is that it all goes downhill from here, fear not though, it will have a happy ending, I promise! Thank you for continuing to read and I hope you all enjoy it!

Stiles woke again in a warm bed and for a moment he thought he was back at the safe house. He stretched his arms out until his fingers brushed against a wall. At the feeling, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around until he realized that he was in a patient room. 

Stiles sighed and put his head in his hands before cringing at the pain. His throat hadn't even healed from Ennis' first bruises and now it felt like he'd gone and swallowed a jar of razor blades. The more he moved, the more he noticed just how sluggish his body felt.

He bit his lip and sighed through his nose at the realization that he'd been drugged. Deciding not to fight the medication in his system, he moved to lay back down and curled up on his side so he could stare at the wall.

Stiles was starting to drift back off to sleep when he heard the door open and twitched himself awake again. He kept his eyes closed, wondering if he could feign sleep and avoid starting testing just yet. 

The feeling of the bed dipping under someone's weight and someone's fingers stroking his hair snapped him out of it. He opened his eyes to see Gerard smiling down at him. "Don't touch me." Stiles whispered in a hoarse voice. He swallowed and rubbed his throat, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again as he murmured, "What do you want?"

"I wanted to make sure that you were enjoying your new quarters." 

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I don't give a damn about it."

"Careful Stiles, you seem to forget that I've given you what you want many times. I can easily take them away too."

"Like what? What exactly have you given me?" Stiles asked in an incredulous tone. "You lied to my parents and abducted me, you've spent years physically and psychologically torturing me, you've broken my leg and almost shattered my mind, and you've ruined people's lives. Let Lydia go free, that was the deal."

"You asked for Derek and I gave him to you. As for the deal, we did promise to let everyone free, but failed to mention that we'd have further use for Lydia. It couldn't be avoided."

Stiles shook his head and pulled his blankets up to his nose. "I want her to go free."

Gerard seemed to ignore the comment and instead stroked Stiles' hair. "You know, there are many times where I've considered you my own son in a way."

Stiles scowled and batted his hand away. "You killed one of your sons. Your little servants just nearly killed your granddaughter."

Gerard tangled his fingers in Stiles' brown locks of hair and yanked before letting go when Stiles hissed in pain. "Chris and Allison have made their decision to fight against me. There are consequences for every action and you'll realize that first hand. After all, we still have to punish you for that escape you orchestrated."

Stiles bit his lip and scowled up at him. "But you wanted us to escape. You wanted to see what would happen, didn't you?"

Gerard smiled wider at his question. "You've always been a curious test subject, so it's only natural that we wanted to see how you would do out in the world. I wanted to see how you would handle it all, there was a lot we wanted to test. We wanted to see times of outside stress and how you react to it."

"You're a fucking sadist." Stiles snarled before coughing and cringing.

"That may be, but you've yielded satisfactory results and you surprisingly returned here of your own free will."

"I returned because I thought I could save everyone." Stiles snapped.

"And you'll save most of them, isn't that good enough?" Gerard asked before motioning Stiles to sit up. "For now, all I need is your blood sample."

Stiles rolled his eyes and sat up, raising his arm and his middle finger.

Gerard ignored it and grabbed a syringe before easing it in and filling a few vials. He then pulled it out and pat Stiles' cheek. "See? That wasn't so bad." He smiled widely, earning another roll of Stiles' eyes.

Stiles didn't want to deal with the psychopath any longer than he had to. He instead stayed quiet and let Gerard finish up whatever the hell it was that he needed to do.

"Alright, your new testing will begin in a few hours. Get plenty of rest." Gerard piped up.

"I don't have to do anything." Stiles replied simply, unable to stop himself.

Gerard smiled wider and left the room without another word. Stiles sighed in relief, happy for once to be alone again. His happiness cut short the moment a white fog began to seep out of the vents.

"Oh fuck, fuck!" Stiles exclaimed, covering his mouth and nose as he tried to keep from inhaling it.

It was no use though and despite his best efforts, it was only a few more moments before Stiles slipped out of consciousness.

 

Stiles regained consciousness and found himself on the floor again, almost thinking that he had been dreaming everything up until then. Aside from the extra injection marks that were fresh on his skin, nearly everything felt the same.

This time, however, the room was almost pitch black other than the light shining down on where he laid in a heap. Stiles sat up, feeling dazed and confused as he tried to place where exactly he was. This wasn't a bedroom and this wasn't a normal testing room.

His eyes widened at the sound of growling and the lights went up, causing him to shield his eyes at first. Once he lowered his hand, his breath caught in his throat. Across the room and leashed to the wall was a Feral patient. The man snarled and snapped his jaws, trying to lunge forwards at Stiles. Each time he moved, the rattling of the chains echoed in the room.

"I'm glad that you're awake, Stiles, this is the first of many new tests. We want to see how you fare in this sort of fight." A doctor spoke through the intercom.

"What the fuck?! I'm not doing that! I'm not fight-" Stiles didn't finish his sentence, his voice cutting off when electricity wracked through his body and flung him on his back. His hands quickly raised to the shock collar secured around his throat when it stopped. Stiles panted in pain once he could breathe and felt the ice cold prickling of dread start to set in.

"You have a choice to make, three...two...one, Stiles." The sound of a buzzer went off and the Feral patient was let off his leash.

He ran screaming at Stiles, Stiles quickly scrambling to his feet. The man slammed right into Stiles and sent him back to the ground as he tried to pin him.

Stiles felt a searing pain in his shoulder and screamed as the man sunk his teeth into his flesh.

He began slamming his fist against his jaw, trying to get him to let loose before he finally rolled him off and was able to stand. He kicked the man in the face, pressing a hand to his wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding and ease the pain.

The Feral man looked up to Stiles and snarled, blood seeping down his nose and dripping from his chin. Stiles couldn't tell how much of it was his own blood and how much belonged to the man. He shoved aside the thought and took the chance to run, making it to the edge of the room so he could slam his hands against the windows.

"Let me out! I don't want to fight!" He screamed in a hoarse voice. "Fucking let me out!" He gasped in pain when a smaller shock rocked through his body, squeezing his eyes shut and shuddering until it stopped.

"Fight." The voice from the speaker said simply.

Stiles' eyes widened in terror. He quickly realized that if he didn't fight, they would probably let him die. It was more than likely that they would let the Feral man tear him to shreds at the very least.

Hands grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him roughly to the ground. Stiles slid a few feet before he quickly kicked at the man's legs to knock him off his feet when he was lunged at. The man fell to the ground and quickly grabbed Stiles' leg, yanking him close before impaling his leg with sharp nails and teeth. Stiles screamed out from the pain and began kicking as hard as he could.

Once he was free, he staggered to his feet and limped as fast as he could to the wall again, grabbing the railing with both hands.

 _They're gonna let me die, I'm gonna die...Don't let me die, I'm scared. I'm scared._ His brain echoed as he pulled at the bar, propping the foot of his injured leg against the wall for leverage.

_I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die._

Stiles pulled harder, squeezing his eyes shut. He heard a snapping noise and the pole came free. He stumbled to regain his balance before he heard a scream and swift footsteps.

He quickly swung hard as he turned around, colliding against the man's head with metal.

The man staggered and screamed at Stiles, causing him to cringe at the volume and pitch. He sounded so wrong...

The man lunged at Stiles again and Stiles went for his knees. He winced at the sound of snapping bone and the man used to momentum to grab Stiles and take him down with, forcing Stiles to let go of the pole.

He landed on top of Stiles and screamed down at him, blood and salvia dripping down onto his victim's face. He began swiping at Stiles like a crazed animal, scratching his face, his arms, his chest; anywhere he could cause damage. Stiles screamed and gasped in pain, using one hand to try and hold the man up to keep from getting bitten whilst the other hand reached for the pole.

The man finally turned his head and jerked it forwards so he could sink his teeth into Stiles' wrist, earning another scream from Stiles. Stiles bit down on his lip until he tasted his own blood, letting the man use his arm as a distraction so he could quickly grab the pole.

The man let go at the movement and screamed down at Stiles but it stopped once Stiles slammed the pole against his jaw.

Stiles rolled him off of him and straddled him, raising the pole over his head before slamming it down.

The man let out a choked scream before reaching up to attack Stiles. Stiles grabbed his arm and twisted until he heard a crack.

 _It's him or you. Kill or be killed. If you don't you're gonna die. You're gonna die._ The panic in him told him, urging him to bring the pole down harder and harder each time.

Even when blood splattered on his face, he didn't stop. He hit harder, ignoring the rage fueled screams that turned to gurgles and then finally...nothing.

Stiles slowly stood when it was over, taking a shaky breath before he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

He did it, he survived. 

He survived the test.

His eyes shot open when he heard the buzzing sound again, and all relief turned into heavy panic that sat on his chest like lead weights.

One of the doors opened, and another ran in, screaming at the top of his lungs.

 

Stiles was led back to his room by a nurse and a small entourage of armed guards.

"We'll let you shower and then assess your damage." The nurse spoke, leading Stiles to another room so he could shower.

Stiles stared blankly at his reflection on the wall of a mirror once he was in, staring at the mess of blood and gore dripping from his face and clothes.

"Stiles, can you hear me?" The nursed asked, watching him carefully and raising a hand to gently place it on his shoulder.

Stiles didn't respond before slowly looking over to her. Red, strawberry blonde hair...

He closed his eyes and lowered his head. She wasn't Lydia.

The nurse cocked her head to look at his face before patting his shoulder. "I'll check in with you when you finish." Not Lydia murmured, a kind smile on her face. 

Stiles stared at her again. That smile didn't belong here. Did she know? Was she a liar? She was already an imposter, so it would fit.

She was a fake. The real Lydia was hidden somewhere and was being tortured, and it was Stiles' fault. Not Lydia shouldn't be smiling at him when the real Lydia probably wouldn't be smiling.

Not Lydia turned on the shower, making sure it was warm before she stepped back. Stiles waited for her to leave before he slowly headed over to the shower and stripped out of his no longer white clothes.

He stepped under the water and gasped at the initial touch of heat to his wounds before he clenched his jaw and turned it on hotter. Stiles stared at the tiles on the ground as the water swirled down the drain, dark with blood.

Stiles slowly leaned against the wall and slid down until he was curled up on the floor. He stared at his hands, watching as his body started to shake. His vision blurred first until he let out a choked off sob. He clamped his hands over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut to force out the beginning of tears that begged for an escape.

That's where Stiles spent the next twenty minutes, sobbing and occasionally screaming out in sorrow until one of the guards came in to pull him out of the shower.

By the time he reached the medical examination room, he was a blank slate again. The doctor looked him over before using Not Lydia's help to bandage the wounds, occasionally suturing them.

Not Lydia checked his throat beneath the collar before she carefully rubbed in an ointment to soothe the irritated skin. "Alright, that's better, isn't it?" Not Lydia asked, smiling as she pat his arm.

Stiles finally looked up at her again and stared at her. She even had kind green eyes. "What's your name?" He whispered, his voice hoarse from screaming.

"Lyla." She smiled up at him. "It's nice to meet you, Stiles. I hope we can get alone well."

Stiles blinked slowly and looked away. Even the imposter started with an L, ended with an A. She was not Lydia. The kind faced imposter leaned forwards, concern in her eyes.

"Don't get close to me." He whispered. "Everyone either dies or their life gets ruined. I'm a curse."

Lyla gave him a sad expression. She was a good actress, Stiles had to hand that to her. "Do you really believe that?"

"Eight years of experience tells me that it's the truth."

"What if I'm not afraid?" She asked in a soft voice.

Stiles gave her an empty smile. "You will be. You just don't know the truth."

He smiled wider at her confusion despite it not reaching his eyes. "What don't I know?"

"I'm their best kept secret. I'm the real monster that they've created."

Her eyes briefly widened before she gave him a sympathetic smile. "If you're a monster, then so am I." She whispered.

Stiles stared at her in confusion before the guards came in to escort him back to his bedroom. Once there, he had a meal waiting for him.

He completely skipped over the meal and climbed under his covers. His wounds throbbed each time he moved. His throat ached every time he shifted and he tried not to make a sound. It hurt from all the abuse it had experienced. All of it was a reminder that he had survived.

Stiles had survived the battle, but the emptiness in his chest made him wish he had died.

"If I'm here, they survive." He whispered to himself as he stared blankly at the wall. "Every day I'm here, someone else is safe."

"Every day they put something in me, the closer I get to saving Lydia..." He spoke, his voice wavering on her name. It was his fault that she was dragged into this.

"Every injury I get, that's one less my friends get..." His eyes glazed over as he thought of Allison. It was his fault that she'd been shot.

"Every time I hate myself for the things they make me do, I keep someone else from suffering the way I do..." He thought of everyone that had been foolish enough to try and help him.

"Every day I hold it all together, the sooner the day will come where Derek will forgive me..." He finally broke down, gripping his bedding and turning his head to muffle a sob.

Stiles was terrified.

Stiles was terrified and alone again, and it was worse this time.

When he was a frightened child, he lost his parents, but at least he had a few friends for a while. Friends that understood the fear.

This time, Stiles had a taste of what it was like to be on the outside again; what it was like to be free. He'd lost the sunny day in the lake. He'd lost the memories of his friends smiling at him. He'd lost Derek...

He'd lost all the kisses, all the times Derek comforted him, and all the times Derek had tried to help him.

Stiles covered his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut as he muffled a sob.

He would stay here so Derek would never have to wind up here again.

He just needed to get through each day.

 

Furious wasn't a word strong enough to describe how Derek was feeling. He stormed up to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him, clenching his jaw tight.

They wouldn't be able to leave for a few days at the earliest. They would need to collect blueprints for the building and finish creating key cards so they could get in and out, along with many other tasks that would prevent any unnecessary attacks. Derek completely understood the reasoning, but that didn't make him hate it any less.

He was worried about how long Stiles and Lydia would last in Eichen's hold. Their surveillance videos had shown that during the chaos of trying to stop Stiles from leaving, Theo had drugged Lydia and carried her out. Derek couldn't believe that they had another Eichen rat right under their noses and all it did was make him blame himself further.

He was supposed to be protecting Stiles and the others, and he kept failing them. He could feel a dull terror tugging at his chest occasionally and knew that it was Stiles. Just a few hours ago, someone was hurting Stiles somewhere and he was powerless to stop it.

Derek growled and turned around before slamming his bandaged fist against the wall. He ignored the dull pain in his wrist and hit it again until blood seeped through the bandages. He let out a yell of anger and hit it one more time before walking over to the bed and sitting.

Derek rubbed his throbbing hand and closed his eyes, bouncing his leg in agitation. He knew what he was doing by making himself continuously open his wound; he was punishing himself.

If he had talked more with Stiles, he could have stopped him from running. If he had kept a closer eye and kept calm, he could have stopped Lydia from being taken. He felt his hands start to shake and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He wasn't any use to anyone like this. He was volatile and was only making things worse, but he couldn't stop it.

Derek holed himself up in his room for a little over an hour until he finally calmed down enough to go downstairs and check on things. He didn't feel any better, but he felt less likely to snap at anyone that was just trying to help.

He found A first in the surveillance room, playing some music as he put something together. The table in the center of the room was covered in what looked like electrical junk and tools.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked, raising his eyebrows as he stepped closer.

"Building an electrical disrupter. If we get stuck, I can use it to shut the power off and make things a little easier." A replied, briefly glancing up at Derek. "I'm not taking any chances."

Derek nodded and sat across from him. "That's a solid plan. Are you coming with us?"

"I wasn't planning on it originally, and I like to think I'm extremely selfish, but too much is at stake on this one. If I don't kill Gerard myself, the least I can do is make his last moments hell, right?" He gave Derek a grin before pulling the goggles that hung around his neck up over his eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" Derek asked after a moment of silence.

"You just did, but go ahead."

Derek rolled his eyes before continuing. "This is a hard subject but...Eichen killed your family, right?"

A stopped working and sighed as he sat back, pulling the protective lenses back down. "Yeah. About the time Chris left, I tried to leave too and they tried hunting me down. My family wouldn't give me up, so despite my parents working for the company in external affairs, they went to my parent's house and gunned everyone down. They made it look like a robbery gone wrong, and if not for the timing, I might have fallen for it too. Except..." A trailed off to pick up the roll of electrical tape. "There was a flash drive in my sister's hand. Gerard was letting me know that this could have been avoided if I had given myself up. My sister was fourteen at the time. He had her, my parents, and my older brother killed. It was all because he wanted to get to me."

He frowned as he set the tape down again, leaning back and sighing. "So I went into hiding and focused on doing whatever I could to help everyone else take them down. When Chris first made me aware of your situation, I admit I was hesitant to help. You guys have a massive target on your backs and Eichen is lurking around every corner trying to find you. The more I learned, the more I realized that I would be crazy not to take a shot and help. I want to destroy Gerard for every single meaningless death he has caused and for every life he has ruined."

Derek nodded as he listened silently to him speak. "Thank you. I didn't really know what to think of you at first, but I'm glad that we have you here. You've been doing everything you can to help us, and I really appreciate it, Aeron."

A smiled wider at the sound of his name. "Yeah, I'm a pretty weird guy, I get it." He looked towards his laptop that sat near the monitors when a ding went off, sliding over his his chair to type at his computer. He soon smiled and looked over to Derek. "It's about the blueprints we need. The leak came through and we'll be getting them."

Derek sighed in relief at his words. Finally some good news. "Can you work with the blueprints easily?"

A nodded and looked back at his screen. "Chris, Jordan, and I are a little familiar with the building, but it can be challenging still. Especially for the rest of you when you've never been inside. The layout will help us with our planning and knowing where to go. Once we have an idea of it, it will be easier to get a handle on what keycards we'll need. It may still take a few days, but at least we'll be prepared. The response time was actually quicker than I'd anticipated." He whispered.

"Do whatever you need to do. What I know for sure is that the moment we're ready to go, we will be leaving this house. Check in with my uncle and see what he needs for the cards." Derek replied, standing and walking towards the door.

"Will do. Thanks for stopping and talking with me. I haven't talked to too many people here. Not longer than a few seconds anyways."

Derek stopped in the doorway and looked back at where A sat at his laptop. He'd realized then how lonely his life must be. To have no family, only a few people you can trust, and to always have to hide behind aliases. Derek understood the paranoia of constantly having to look over his shoulder, but to do it completely alone? He wondered if he could have done any of that without Stiles or the others.

He would likely still be in Eichen, slowly losing his sanity with every passing day.

Derek lowered his gaze and headed back up to his room. He didn't feel like checking in with anyone else and just wanted to get a little sleep.

It felt strange to climb into bed and not have Stiles there beside him. He'd grown used to curling up against Stiles' back, or Stiles sighing in his sleep and rolling over to rest his head against Derek's chest. Now Derek was in the same bed, but without anyone to share it with. The sheets were colder without Stiles' lithe body to warm them by the time Derek would get in bed and the room felt bigger without Stiles' animated prescience to fill the silence.

The world had continued to turn as normal with only handfuls of people knowing of Stiles' existence, but Derek wasn't sure if he could go back to a normal life without him.

He turned off the lights and got under the sheets, sighing and stretching his arm out as he shifted on his back. _Where are you now? What are you thinking about? Are you okay?_ The questions occasionally echoed again in his head since last night.

He fell asleep thinking of Stiles.

 

When Derek opened his eyes, he was sitting on the front porch. He stared at the lights shining down the long driveway and frowned to himself. Did he sleep walk? He looked back at the house and saw the lights off through the doors before he looked back.

This time, he was staring into a room that was sparsely decorated with white furniture. There was a table with food on top in one corner, a chair, a small semi-sealed off bathroom on one side. In the other corner was a bed, with someone under the covers.

His eyes widened when the person sat up and rubbed their eyes.

"Stiles?" He called.

Stiles stopped rubbing his eyes and looked over at Derek before his eyes widened. "Derek?" He asked, rushing over and placing his hands on the plexiglass wall separating them.

"What's going on? Are you really here talking to me?" Derek asked, placing his hands over where Stiles' rested. The glass felt cool under his hands and almost caused him to pull away at the touch.

Stiles looked at their hands before he looked at Derek's eyes and let out a soft laugh. "We're dreaming."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Together?"

Stiles nodded and pulled a hand away from the glass so he could scratch at the back of his neck. That's when Derek noticed the bandages and just how discolored his face was.

"What did they do to you? Are they hurting you? Are you in pain?"

Stiles lowered his gaze and shifted on his feet. "I don't want to talk about it."

Derek frowned and wished he could stop it from happening again. "Stiles, have you seen Lydia? She was taken."

Stiles nodded and finally looked up to Derek. "She's here. I don't know where they took her though. I think if I play along, I can get her out."

"Stiles, we're coming to get you."

Stiles' eyes widened and terror filled his expression. "No. No, don't. Don't come get me, Derek. Don't look for me, please. They'll leave you alone if you don't come after me. I'm okay." His voice cracked on those words and Derek longed to break the glass and free him. "I can do this, please. I can handle this, just please, please promise me you won't come look for me."

Derek shook his head before resting his forehead against the glass. "I can't promise you that, Stiles. You deserve to be free."

Stiles shook his head and stared ahead with a solemn expression. "It will be safer for you if I stay here. If I can get them to focus on only me, they'll free Lydia and it will be okay." Derek hated the tragic smile on Stiles' face. His lips quivered and his eyes were filled with loneliness; To Derek, he looked like he was on the verge of breakdown. "I'll be okay."

"You're not okay." Derek whispered.

Stiles shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "I will be."

Derek hated that Stiles was lying, but he couldn't tell who Stiles was lying for. Was it for Derek? Or was it for himself?

"You don't believe that." Derek pointed out, wishing he could cup just pull him close.

Stiles finally looked up at Derek, searching his gaze before he finally whispered, "I have to."

Derek opened his mouth to speak but Stiles' eyes widened and he lifted his hand to his mouth.

"Stiles? What's wrong?"

Stiles quickly shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "I feel sick. I'm sorry, I have to go." He rasped out.

Derek blinked and in that brief moment, the room was gone and he was alone again in his mind.

 

Stiles opened his eyes, his breath heavy and coming out in short bursts of air. His body felt hot and his clothes clung to the thin layer of sweat that glistened on his skin. His mind felt hazy and it nearly had the dizzying feeling of being drunk.

He rolled onto his stomach and whined, pushing himself up on his hands in slow movements. Stiles closed his eyes again at the wave of nausea and took slow breaths through his nose as he tried to will it to fade away.

 _Stay down...Stay down...I can do this._ He thought, trying to give himself a small pep talk.

Apparently that was the complete opposite of what his body wanted and in seconds, Stiles was rushing across the room to the toilet in the corner. He barely made it and doubled over before everything started to come out. The strong acidic taste combined with the choking sensation had tears trickling down his swollen cheek.

 _I can do this...I can get through this._ If he repeated it to himself enough times, then maybe, just maybe, he would finally start to believe it himself.

Stiles flushed the toilet and rinsed his mouth in the sink before heading back towards his bed.

He'd wondered if the emotional and physically stress was what caused him to share a dream with Derek. Perhaps it was simply the activated bond needing contact to continue a strong connection between the two of them.

Stiles almost resented the happiness that fluttered when he thought about seeing his face again. It felt great to be able to have a way to communicate with him, but it was also a curse. If it continued, he would only miss Derek more and he wasn't sure if he could handle it.

It was harder to leave him behind if he continued to see him. He already knew that it was hopeless to believe that Derek wouldn't come for him and he knew there was no way to change his mind. It probably made Derek even more determined to take Eichen down at the sight of how beaten up Stiles looked.

Stiles felt his stomach rumble and cringed, biting back a groan at the feeling of the discomfort.

He glanced up to the food on the table and debated on whether or not to eat. He didn't want to throw up again, but he would need his strength. After some thought, he finally walked over to the tray and brought it back to his bed so he could eat.

He ate with his fingers, ripping the rolls and picking up the broccoli piece by piece. He avoided the meat, wondering if it was medicated like it was in the hospital. Stiles ate quickly before setting the tray on the floor.

Once it was down, he curled up on the bed once again and pulled the covers up to his chin. Stiles still felt overheated, but he knew if he'd sleep with them off, he'd wake up shivering.

He thought of all the nights he had spent in the hospital as a child and how he had spent his nights when he was on his own. His eyes soon widened in realization as he vaguely remembered something.

"I wonder if it's still there..." He whispered, climbing off of the bed and reaching under the mattress. Could it still be there? Would they have taken it or would they have left it for when they brought him back?

He felt blindly until his fingers finally brushed against leather. His eyes widened and he grabbed the item, pulling out a leather bound notebook and a pen. He remembered when he was first brought here, Dr. Cain had given all of the children these notebooks so they could write when they needed to.

Stiles sat back against the bed and opened the notebook, his eyes widening a little at the photograph tucked inside. Dr. Cain had a kind smile on his face and Stiles was giving a thumb's up. That was back when he still believed he could go home.

He moved the picture and raised his eyebrows at the note written on the inside of the cover.

_Stiles, never forget how special you are. You're the bright spark that lights up the darkness. You are stronger than you realize and you can get through anything. Never lose faith in yourself. You're a survivor. I promise I will do everything I can to help you through this hard time. - Cain_

Stiles bit his lip and tilted his head back as he closed his eyes. "You promised me you'd be here and you died because of me." He whispered. He traced his fingers over the journal before lifting his hand to rub his eyes so he wouldn't cry.

He had grown so tired of crying. He gave himself some time to calm down before he turned the page and read the first entry.

_'I've been here for almost a month now, I think. I haven't seen mom and dad in a long time and I really miss them. I don't want to be here anymore but Mr. Gerard says we're not ready to go home yet. The tests are weird, they put these things on our head and it scans our dreams. They give us shots too, I don't know why. I just want to go home.'_

Stiles slowly read through the beginning entries, noting that they were mostly about being home sick. He ran his finger over an entry as he read along before stopping and tensing.

_'I saw someone die today. Her name was Heather. They gave us new shots and something happened to her. She started bleeding through her eyes first, and then her nose. I asked what happened and she threw up on me. It was blood._

_She was my friend. She's dead now._

_I'm so scared. I wanna go home. I want my mom. I want my dad.'_ The writing grew messier as Stiles read on, he'd most likely been writing with a shaking hand. The ink distorted in random spots and were likely the results of crying.

The odd thing was the fact that Stiles didn't remember any of it. He frowned and scratched at his head in thought. He knew a Heather from years ago, but to his recollection, she never died. Stiles shook his head and turned the page.

_'I feel a little better today. What happened last night was a nightmare. Heather transferred out last night. I guess I had a bad dream and thought she died. Everyone else says she's okay. I guess I'm just tired. I'm sleeping more now because of the medicine they started giving me yesterday.'_

Stiles frowned and looked between the pages. Stiles had always had some pretty vivid night terrors, but that didn't feel like one. And with everything else going on in Eichen, he doubted that it was just that.

Stiles flipped through the pages to see if there was anything else he didn't remember. He already knew of instances where Eichen messed with his head, he just didn't know how deep they went. Perhaps the things they erased from his mind would have shattered him. _And they can't have that happen._ He thought bitterly.

Stiles found an entry when he was fourteen and leaned forwards as he read the passage.

_'I've been dreaming about this guy lately. The first time it happened, I followed him around and I tried talking to him. He couldn't hear me, but I don't know, I just felt like something about him was important._

_The second time, he was with his family and talking about how he had met someone. I tried to get their attention and talk to them. None of them could hear me._

_The third time, he was with this lady. I couldn't see her face, but they seemed really close. I could feel that he was in love with this woman. I tried asking him about her, but no once could hear me._

_The fourth time, the guy was celebrating. He'd asked her to marry him and she said yes. The guy looks really pretty when he smiles. I really like his eyes, even they can't see me. I felt his happiness and tried to congratulate him. He couldn't hear me._

_The fifth time, the man was with his family and the house was dark. Something went wrong and when the man woke up, he could smell the smoke. I followed him as he smoke grew thicker and thicker, until there was too much fire. I screamed and screamed at the top of my lungs when the smoke wasn't choking me, screamed when I clawed at the walls until my nails came off. I screamed with everyone when the fire burned us alive. Only Gerard could hear me.'_

Stiles read over the entry one more time and shut the book. "It was Derek." He whispered, gripping at the book until his hands shook from the pressure. Stiles had been dreaming about Derek and what his life could have become. Stiles' eyes glazed over and tears trickled down his cheeks before he could stop them. "If I stay here, Derek will be okay." He whispered, closing his eyes and balling his hands into fists.

He got to his feet and walked to the corner of the room, keeping his gaze on the camera on the ceiling. He saw the camera follow his movements so he knew someone was watching. "I want to talk to Gerard."

He'd been expecting to maybe get gassed again and wake up on the table, or to get ignored. He hadn't expected the door to open. Stiles looked back at it and walked through the door after careful deliberation. He stood outside his door and looked around, not seeing anyone.

Stiles crossed his arms over his chest and started walking down the hallway, looking at each of the doors. He finally found an open one and walked in, finding Gerard sitting at a desk.

Gerard looked up from his work and gave Stiles as he motioned to the chair in front of the desk. "Have a seat. You want to talk?" He asked, turning back to his work.

Stiles took a seat in the chair, his back straight as steel as he balled his hands into fists. "I want to make a deal with you."

That caught Gerard's attention right away. He set down his folder and focused entirely on Stiles. "What kind of deal?"

"I will do every single test, every battle, anything you want. I won't fight back, and I'll do whatever you ask of me." Stiles started, forcing the words to come out. He needed to do this. "But if I do, I want answers for any questions I have, including access to files, but most importantly, I want Lydia set free. Anything that you might want her for, you can get it out of me."

Gerard smiled wider and leaned forwards. It took everything in Stiles to not lean back. "There will be no more escape attempts? You will cooperate?"

"Until the day you finally kill me." Stiles replied, keeping his face blank.

Gerard mulled it over and motioned for Stiles to stand. When Stiles finally did, he spoke again. "I'll consider your offer, Stiles."

Stiles let out a pent up breath and nodded. He didn't want to trust Gerard, but if he had enough leverage, he figured he could get his way and have Lydia go free.

The lives of his friends were much more valuable than his. 

He watched Gerard pull a syringe gun and a vial out of his desk, staring at the red and black liquid swirled inside the vial. "What's the red liquid?"

Gerard loaded the device and raised Stiles' arm so he could inject it. Stiles winced at the loud clicking noise it made when it went off and rubbed the skin once Gerard pulled away. "It's a new serum. It will hopefully ease the serum's negative effects in your body so that we'll see more of the positives."

Stiles raised an eyebrow and stared quizzically at Gerard. "That's strangely considerate of you."

"You're cooperating. The more you cooperate, the more perks you'll receive." Gerard glanced at his watch before smiling and giving Stiles a gentle push out of the room.

Stiles opened his mouth to ask what the hell he was doing but the door shutting in his face cut him off.

"We're going to test the effects now." Gerard finally looked up at Stiles and smiled wider. "We'll see how well you do."

"What does that mean?" Stiles demanded, smacking his hand against the glass and glaring at him.

Gerard didn't answer his question; he didn't have to. Stiles noticed a flickering out of the corner of his eyes and focused his gaze down the hall. The light at the end shut off and one by one the lights turned off. He could hear faint inhuman screams start at the end of the hall and felt terror make the hair on his arms and neck rise. He looked to Gerard in desperation and slammed his hands against the door. "No! No! Fuck you!" Stiles shouted, hating the smile on his face. "Why does it have to be now? Why do I have to fight now?!"

When the screams and heavy footsteps started to get closer, Stiles turned and began running down the hall. This was a game to Gerard. It was nothing more than a little test.

Stiles' terror levels rose when the lights around him went out and left him in the darkness. "Fuck." He whispered as he tried to navigate through the pitch black hallways.

He could hear the Feral patients getting closer to him and knew he didn't have much time left. If he didn't find a way to get an upper hand on them, they would overpower him and cause a lot of damage.

Stiles kept his hands in front him him and tried to feel for the wall as he walked, his fingers soon touching the wall at the end of the hallway. Down the left hall, he could see a light at the end. He could hear the monsters scream behind him and took off running down the hall, putting every bit of energy he had left into it. He wasn't going to let them catch him; he wasn't going to let them take him down.

Stiles' knees buckled under his weight when he reached the end and he fell on his face in the doorway. He panted heavily, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to force himself up.

He felt hands grasp his ankles and he felt like he was in the woods again. He was going to get dragged into the darkness again. "No, no!" He screamed, kicking his legs in an attempt to free himself. The hands rolled him onto his back and he kicked harder, trying to get free from the shadows that gripped him. He leaned forwards to shove them away, but when he saw the patient's face, he screamed harder.

A hand grabbed him by the back of his jacket and dragged him into the room, the hands around his legs vanishing. When the person let Stiles go, he quickly pushed himself up onto his knees so he could try to figure out what was going on. His started to feel as if his head was spinning and it was steadily becoming harder to focus.

"What did you see?" Gerard asked, smiling as he watched Stiles.

Stiles looked back towards the doorway, and blinked slowly when he started to see double. Despite the wavering vision, he could see that the lights were on. There were no Feral patients after him. "What...?"

"You were exposed to a new hallucinogen. We wanted to test how it would affect you, and so far it looks like it worked decently. What did you see?" Gerard asked again.

Stiles looked briefly at Gerard before looking back to the door. His vision blurred the longer he stared at the door until he finally realized he was crying. Stiles felt his lip quiver as he started to shake, and instead of answering, he fell back to the floor and stayed on his stomach. 

This was too much, this was breaking him. Why was this happening?

He stared at the doorway and began to whisper the same word under his breath.

"Mom."


	22. Chapter 22

Gerard had left Stiles alone to babble incoherently to himself for over half an hour before finally ordering Ennis to drag him and set him on a table in the examination room. 

Stiles stared blankly ahead, whispering to himself as his eyes slowly drifted back and forth. He was still obviously dazed from the injection and what it had caused him to see. Gerard shined a light in his eyes to check his pupils, but Stiles himself paid no attention to the light. Finally, Gerard snapped his fingers in front of his face until Stiles finally blinked and looked up at him.

"Are you back now?" Gerard asked, giving him a smile.

Stiles looked around the room before lowering his head and gripping the edge of the table.

"Are you breaking now? Perhaps you need Derek?"

Stiles tensed and gripped the table tighter. "Derek...Wanna see...Derek." He began to babble, rocking forwards and back. He soon stilled his body and cocked his head. "No. Can't see him. Want him to be safe." Stiles whispered, closing his eyes and giving a slow shake of his head.

Gerard tied a tourniquet around Stiles' arm, prepping it so he could take a blood sample. Stiles didn't even cringe at the feeling of the syringe going into his vein, he just continued sit there.

"You told me that you were going to be good, so we tested you. Will you do what we say?"

"Questions," whispered Stiles as he tilted his head back. "Will you answer my questions?"

"Yes." Gerard replied, smiling and patting his cheek.

"Wh...Where..." Stiles furrowed his eyebrows and swallowed, reaching up to rub his throat. He closed his eyes and dropped his hand, letting his body fall flat against the table.

"Perhaps we should arrange this for a later time." Gerard noted in amusement. When Stiles didn't move, Gerard snapped his fingers until Ennis reentered the room. "He's at his limit, take him to his room to rest. Be gentle with him, we need him in his best shape tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir." Ennis replied, lifting Stiles over his shoulder before he left the office. Stiles hung limp on his arm like a rag doll and didn't struggle as Ennis carried him back to his room. Stiles stared at the floor with a blank expression, not even registering that he was being carried.

Ennis carelessly dropped Stiles onto his bed and pat his cheek roughly to get his attention. Stiles didn't even blink at the contact. Ennis huffed out a laugh and smirked. "Come on, Killer. I'm sure you could take a lot more than that. Don't be so pathetic." When Stiles didn't respond, Ennis rolled his eyes and left the room.

Stiles finally blinked slowly and balled his hand into a loose fist. He finally closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall into a dreamless sleep.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed by the time he woke up again, but the numbness in his body had gone away and his muscles throbbed with each movement. Stiles sighed and draped his arm over his eyes, trying his best not to move too much and agitate his wounds.

He heard the door open, followed by the clicking of heels on the floor. 

"Are you asleep?" Stiles lowered his arm at the sound of Lyla's voice and watched her for a moment as she set a tray of food on Stiles' table.

"No, I just don't feel like moving." He replied.

The nurse knelt down beside him, reaching her hand out towards his face. Stiles flinched and looked away when she checked to see if he was warm.

"Have you eaten?"

"No."

"Is it because you don't want to or because you can't?"

Stiles blinked slowly and looked over at the nurse. "Both." He whispered before closing his eyes. "Can I ask you something? None of what I saw last night was real, was it?"

Lyla sighed softly and Stiles knew she probably was staring at him with pity in her expression. "Correct. That serum was filled with hallucinogens. Gerard wanted to test it on you and see how you'd react. Can I ask what you saw?"

Stiles cringed at the memory of his mother lunging for him, the crazed look of rage in her eyes. "I was being chased by the Feral Ones, the lights went out and I had to get away." He trailed off and didn't continue as his expression went blank.

Lyla waited for a few moments, just to be sure he wasn't going to say anything else before she moved on from the subject. "Gerard wanted me to bring him to you once you woke up. I was going to let you eat first, but since you don't want to, I'll just take you when you're ready."

"Okay." Stiles replied, sitting up and cringing. He rubbed his shoulder as he stood, trying to ease the soreness in his body.

When he looked over at Lyla she was holding water and some medication.

"Sedatives?"

"Painkillers." She replied. Stiles debated the potential pros and cons but soon nodded and held his hand out. He popped them into his mouth and downed them with a few gulps of water. "Okay, let's go."

Lyla nodded and led Stiles out of the room and down to Gerard's office. Stiles kept his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the bandages on his arms.

"We'll get all of your bandages changed as soon as he's finished." Lyla piped up, looking over at him and noticing him staring.

Stiles glanced up and shrugged. "Knowing Gerard, you'll probably end up bandaging more parts of my body." He stated offhandedly.

Lyla pursed her lips but didn't argue with his words. Once they got to Gerard's office, she opened the door and walked in first. "I brought Stiles, just like you asked."

"Alright, thank you. I'll call you back over later." Stiles waited for her to walk out before he entered the office. He plopped down in the chair in front of Gerard's desk, cringing and briefly closing his eyes when he jostled his wounds.

"It still hurts?" Gerard asked, glancing over at him before looking back at his screen.

"Of course it does, they're from yesterday." Stiles pointed out.

Gerard moved on with his questions. "How's your throat?"

"You don't care." Stiles countered.

Gerard smiled and focused on Stiles. "Are you ready to ask your questions? You weren't very responsive when we first started."

Stiles nearly told Gerard to go fuck himself. "And I can ask anything I want?" He instead asked.

"Within reason." Stiles rolled his eyes and leaned back, trying to think of where he should start.

"Was Heather transferred out?"

Gerard stared at Stiles for a moment, searching his expression before he looked at his computer screen and typed at his keyboard. Once he found what he was looking for, he turned the screen towards Stiles and hit play.

Stiles focused on the camera recording from when he was still new to the hospital. He was talking with a blonde girl, patting her shoulder and trying to comfort her. It wasn't long after that she started to cough, covering her mouth with both hands as she doubled over. When she lowered her hands, Stiles could see they were covered in blood.

The younger Stiles noticed this as well, his eyes widening before he quickly turned and cried out for help. He looked around for any doctors, but when he looked back, Heather was bleeding from every orifice on her face. She coughed harder before she vomited blood on Stiles and fell to the ground.

Stiles closed his eyes once it was over and leaned back. "So why change the memory?"

"You refused to eat and lashed out at doctors whenever they would get close. Needless to say, it caused problems when we'd attempt to inject you. With a little persuasion, we were able to convince you that it had been a nightmare and she transferred out."

"How many of my memories have been altered or destroyed?"

"As many as it took. Each time you got close to breaking, we had to change things in order to keep you going."

"Until I was almost too far gone and you had to bring Derek into this mess?"

"Essentially, yes. You needed something to focus on, and you wouldn't bond with any of our resources. That's why we started seeing if we could create an emotional tether. Many times it failed, but once we allowed you to find your own, it worked perfectly. You're in love with Derek, correct? Do you ever question how real it is?"

Stiles scowled at Gerard and shook his head. "What brought us together might have been orchestrated, but our feelings are real. Derek doesn't question it anymore either."

"You're sure about that?"

"Why Derek? Was he specifically chosen or what?" Stiles asked, moving on instead of dwelling on the subject.

"You chose him yourself. We still don't know why, but he worked out perfectly. You must not remember why you chose him."

Stiles rubbed his hands together and pursed his lips in thought. He wanted to ask about the other version of himself, but if Gerard wasn't aware of it, he didn't want to bring it to his attention. He wondered why he hadn't seen the other part of himself recently, but figured it was due to the exhaustion. "What about Lydia? Why her?"

"We've noticed that everyone you attach yourself to develops at least a minuscule change in themselves. We saw a lot of potential in her and have been working to unleash it."

"I want to see her."

"In due time, you will. For now, focus on yourself. You are going to be put through many tests for the foreseeable future. Do you have any further questions?"

"Why does Ennis call me 'Killer'?"

"I won't show you because your mind isn't currently in a state that can handle it, but there was an instance where you snapped and lashed out with your powers. Four nurses and two doctors died." Stiles' eyes widened in horror. He'd done something like that?

"You erased the memories right afterwards?"

"Of course. You couldn't handle it then. I'll grant you a small mercy by keeping that particular memory locked away."

Stiles shook his head and scratched at his wrist. "Why does Theo hate me? I thought we were friends as kids."

"Perhaps you should ask him. Everyone has different experiences, after all." Stiles scowled at Gerard.

They'd all been through unimaginable horror but he figured it would unite them all against Gerard, rather than separate them.

"All of my friends are free though, right? You'll never harm them again?"

"Of course, unless they try to take you again. This time if they come for you, you won't have help out from the inside and none of them will make it out alive."

Stiles' eyes widened as he pushed himself to his feet and staggered from the swift movement. "You're a monster." He hissed.

"Your next test starts in an hour." Gerard carried on, choosing to ignore his comment. "I'll allow you to wander the halls without a guard today, but you know what happens if you try to escape." He added, motioning towards Stiles' shock collar. "Remember, the better you behave and follow orders, the more you'll be allowed to do. You know this."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "How generous of you." He huffed in a bitter tone. "If I have more questions, will you continue to answer them?"

"For now. Do you have anything else on your mind? I take it you're just being obstinate and need time to cool off. If you can calm yourself, we can have a further discussion."

Stiles clenched his teeth together and resisted the urge to snap at Gerard. The only thing that would accomplish would be proving a  
Gerard right. "What is your biggest goal with me?" He breathed, doing his best to calm down.

"With you, it's a tricky answer because you are both an extremely deadly weapon, as well as an invaluable medical resource. You practically even have life and death right at your finger tips."

"What does that mean?" Stiles asked before hissing in pain when he felt his head began to throb. He pressed his fingers to his temples and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a seat.

"What's the matter?" Gerard asked, standing and grabbing a penlight out of his desk. He tilted Stiles' head back and looked into his eyes, flashing the bright light into them.

"I don't feel so good." Stiles mumbled, groaning and leaning forwards. Gerard realized what he was about to do and grabbed the trash can, putting it in Stiles' hands. Not even seconds later, Stiles lurched forwards and began vomiting into the bin.

Gerard got on his phone and pressed a few buttons, on his desk. "Yes, bring a chair to my office right away and bring Stiles to the infirmary."

Stiles groaned at the rawness of his throat being worsened from the exertion of throwing up and squeezed his eyes shut. He listened for the eventual sound of footsteps, barely even opening his eyes when he was lifted from the chair and rested on a wheelchair. He couldn't process what the people around him were saying anymore, their words sounding muffled and garbled. Stiles' eyes rolled back as he dropped his head forwards and passed out.

 

When he opened his eyes again, he was in the infirmary and his headache was gone. He didn't even feel nauseous anymore. Stiles rolled onto his side in slow movements and glanced at the IV in his arm. He sighed and wrapped his blanket tighter around himself to avoid the cool air in the room.

"Are you feeling any better?" Stiles turned his head and looked at Lyla for a moment before nodding and looking away again.

"What happened?"

"Overexertion combined with a slight reaction to the new serum. Gerard is giving you time to rest and recover, so you won't have to worry about further testing today."

Stiles figured the only thing that meant was that the all of the tests he'd face when he was out of the infirmary would be much more brutal. It was almost comical how that seemed to work. Gerard must figure that he would go soft if he wasn't terrified out of his mind on a daily basis.

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really." Stiles replied.

"Okay, if you need anything, just let me know, alright?" Stiles sighed and looked back at her.

"You should stop being nice to me. The only thing it will do is cause trouble for you." Lyla's face softened as she sat down at the foot of his bed.

"I can't just stop being nice, it's in my nature. Besides, I think you could use a friend right now." Her words were kind and her expression made them seem all the more sincere.

Stiles balled his hands into fists at the thought of the pain he'd caused his friends, just by being near them. Being friends with Stiles meant losing any shot at having a normal life.

"I don't want any more friends." He mumbled.

"I know you're lonely, you just want to protect the people you care about. You're the strongest person I've ever met."

Stiles felt himself starting to shake as he sat up. He kept his head lowered and let out a soft, shaky breath. "I have to be. It's better to be hurting than to hurt someone else. I don't want to be this way, but I wouldn't wish this amount of pain on someone else."

Lyla reached out towards him but hesitated when Stiles flinched at the movement. When he didn't pull away, she gave him a gentle hug and took care not to mess with the IV or apply pressure to his healing wounds. Stiles buried her face in his shoulder and did his best to not start crying. He didn't want to be this way, he didn't understand why he had to suffer so much. What could possibly be worth inflicting this much pain on someone? A part of him wished for death, for it to all be over with.

Lyla rubbed his back and whispered sweet words to him. "It will be okay, we'll figure something out." Stiles knew that the only way it would be okay is if he managed to get out. He also knew that the only way out of this place was for someone to die. Either he would kill Gerard and take down Eichen from inside, or Gerard would kill him. To Stiles, it felt like a never ending chess game. Gerard was always two steps ahead of him and always there to corner him when he'd make a move. Lyla's words helped though, he needed something to help keep him grounded. He desperately needed something to cling to, and for now, Lyla helped.

Stiles wasn't sure how long she held him and comforted him, but once he had calmed down, Lyla briefly left the room to get something from the employee area. She returned with two cups of hot chocolate and offered one to Stiles. Stiles accepted the warm paper cup and took a sip of the sweet, hot liquid inside. The warmth of it felt good against his aches and pains and helped him feel better. It reminded him of home.

"Can I ask you something personal?" He asked Lyla.

"Of course. You can ask me anything."

Stiles ran his thumb along the cup as he thought about how to ask the question. "When I said I was a monster, you said something about being one too. What did you mean?"

Lyla didn't answer at first and stared down at her coffee and she stirred slow circles in it. "I'm technically a test patient too."

Stiles' eyebrows raised in surprised before he furrowed them in confusion. "But you're a nurse." He pointed out.

Lyla shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I was in an accident last year and ended up being on the verge of death. Doctors thought I would die for sure, it was just a matter of time. Gerard came to me and said wanted to test something he had been working on. I figured, I didn't have much else to lose at that point. So, he put implants in my back and I was able to recover and regain full control of my body. The implants weren't the only new addition though, I have to take dosages of the serum to keep everything in check. It's not without its side effects, but overall, I stay healthy."

"What side effects do you have?" Stiles asked, feeling guilty that she was indebted to Gerard. He was the last person anyone would want to owe something to.

Lyla pursed her lips together and stared at her coffee cup. Stiles watched as the straw slowly began to circle the inside of the cup and stir her drink by itself. It soon slowed to a stop and she looked up at him.

"You're like me?"

Lyla laughed lightly and shook her head. "I'm nowhere near as strong as you. My powers are still pretty mundane."

Stiles pursed his lips together as a worrying thought popped into his mind. "Do they hurt you?"

"No, they're very good about that. I guess I'm lucky since I'm not particularly useful with it. It helps me connect with patients though." She assured him.

Stiles sighed in relief. "I'm glad that they don't have to torture you to try and strengthen them."

"It makes me feel guilty that I've gotten off lucky while you and the others have faced unimaginable pain since you were children."

"Don't be sorry." Stiles quickly replied. "It's not your fault. You have nothing to feel guilty off, if I was in your shoes, I might have done the same thing. I don't blame you for wanting to survive."

Lyla's expression filled with relief. "Thank you, Stiles, that means a lot. Theo wasn't very nice about it when he found out."

"Theo is an asshole." Lyla laughed at his bluntness. Stiles smiled a little but hid it by taking another sip of his drink.

"Well, you're not wrong there. So, tell me about Derek." Stiles' smile faded as he lowered his cup and Lyla's expression softened. "If you're comfortable telling me about him."

Stiles didn't answer at first. "Derek is...incredible. Everyone thinks I'm strong, but I wouldn't have gotten anywhere if it wasn't for him. Derek saved me, in more ways than I think either of us could have realized. He kept me sane before we ever met, he's protected me in any way he can, and he's loved me more than I thought anyone ever could. I've been alone for so long, that I've always just felt broken. When I'm with Derek, it feels like I'm whole again. It feels kind of cheesy to say it like that, but it feels right. Derek might just be one of the most important people I'll ever have in my life. Even without the bond Gerard forces in us, I believe I'd feel just as strongly for him."

Lyla smiled at his words. "You love him, don't you? Does he know?"

Stiles nodded and felt his eyes start to glaze over. "I think so. I hope he knows how much I love him. I've told him I love him, I just don't know if he knows how much."

"I think he knows."

"I hope so." Stiles whispered.

 

Gerard kept his word about not testing Stiles for the rest of the day, and Stiles was honestly thankful for the break. He was able to get much needed rest and it gave his body a chance to relax and focus on healing.

The following day, in the early afternoon, Gerard personally came to Stiles' room, giving him one of those wide smiles that Stiles detested. That sickening smile meant he was planning something, and it was never anything good.

"Head towards the large testing room in half an hour. It's going to be a little different than what you're used to, but I think it will be a great experience." 

Stiles nearly gave into the urge to tell him to fuck off but instead went with a simple answer "Fine." The sooner he agreed, the sooner he could get it over with.

"I'm looking forward to how well you do, enjoy it." Stiles only nodded that time and sat down on his bed. Thankfully, Gerard left without another word and allowed Stiles a little more time to sit in peace. He wondered what this upcoming test would be like.

 

Once the time came, Stiles walked into the large, empty room. He swallowed slowly and balled his hands into fists. Unsuccessfully, he tried to push down his fear and steady his heart, but once the door opened, it started its rapid pounding again.

Stiles waited for the screams to start, for the fast footsteps of the monsters running at him. This time, he didn't hear it; this time, the sounds of any Feral attackers never came. 

Stiles finally heard soft footfalls coming his direction and took a step back, swallowing slowly. It was time. His posture was rigid with anticipation, knowing full well that he was going to be suffering from more injuries before this was over.

Two people entered the room, a set of identical twins. Stiles took a long look between them in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. "Ethan? Aiden? They're making me fight you two?"

"Apparently they want to see where your power's control is at." Ethan shrugged. "I guess you've temporarily graduated from feral patients to us. It's just training."

"This may be a training exercise, but don't let your guard down, we're not going to take it easy on you." Aiden added with a smirk on his face.

Stiles let out a snort as he rolled his eyes. "Eichen wouldn't let you take it easy on me anyways. I'm betting they want to see what I've learned on the outside."

"Basically." Ethan shrugged before carrying on. "That and how you deal under stress. It's the usual."

Stiles sighed before he gave a nod. "Alright, we'll get started then."

Ethan and Aiden exchanged a look, staring at each other for a few seconds before nodding. Aiden rushed at Stiles first, throwing a hit towards his side. Stiles jumped away to dodge the hit and dodged again when Aiden threw another punch. When he tried to avoid the third hit, a fist collided with his ribs. Stiles cringed and covered his side, taking a few steps back. When the hell did Ethan get there?

He clenched his teeth together as they made eye contact again but neither said anything as they rushed in for another attack. Stiles tried to continue dodging or deflecting the punches, noting the synchronicity of their movements and how they seemed to communicate without speaking a single word.

Stiles shoved Aiden away from him when he got close and took a step back. "You're telepathic, aren't you? That's why you're so in sync."

Aiden laughed and looked to his brother. "I'm surprised he figured it out so quickly. You win the bet."

"One of our bigger side effects of the testing is that we can talk to each other in our heads. It really makes it valuable in a fight."

"But why would he want us to fight? What's Gerard's goal here?" Stiles asked, hoping that they at least knew something.

Aiden shrugged. "We can't talk about that right now, but since you figured out one of our tricks, it looks like we'll have to try harder."

All it took was a blink of his eyes and Aiden was right beside Stiles. He slammed his fist into Stiles' head hard enough for Stiles's vision to go red, and then black.

When Stiles came to again, he was face down on the floor. Once he tried to move, he realized the floor was wet and did his best to push himself up onto his hands and knees. He could feel liquid dripping down his arms and beneath his fingers, his hands even slipped on the floor at first. He heard heavy breathing and it took his mind several extra seconds to process that the sound was coming from himself. The inside of his mouth tasted like metal and he thought he was drooling.

The more he blinked, the more his vision returned. Everything was still red. The liquid covering his hands was blood. He was kneeled in a pool of it and covered with the stuff.

His eyes widened in shock as he quickly looked around and took everything in. "Wh...What?" His gaze stopped on two mutilated bodies in the corner with blood splattered across the walls. He quickly looked away, feeling sick to his stomach.

"You snapped during the sparring test, so we sent in two feral patients to distract you. You tore them to pieces." Gerard spoke proudly as he strolled into the room. "It was magnificent to see you use your powers without holding yourself back."

Stiles shook his head and swallowed back every urge to vomit, he could even feel his mouth fill with more saliva. "No...No. It wasn't me. Wasn't me."

"You don't have to deny it, Stiles. You become a lot stronger when you've accepted everything that was given to you."

"You made me a freak!" Stiles shouted at him, unable to hold back the outburst. "I don't want to be like this."

"You don't have a choice in the matter. The amount of potential you have is incredible. There is so much you could do with your powers if you didn't hold back so much." Gerard smiled and gestured around the room. "Your stubbornness is commendable, but you don't have to fight against what's inside of you anymore."

"I never wanted this and neither did my parents." Stiles replied in a softer tone.

Gerard sneered at Stiles. "As far as your parents are concerned, you're dead and have been since they brought you to us. Perhaps I should extend an invitation out to them. How would you like to see them again, in Feral form? It would be a lovely reunion, wouldn't it?"

Stiles paled at the memory of his vivid hallucination and earned a smirk from Gerard. "That's what I thought." He stepped over and gripped Stiles by his bloodied arm so he could yank him to his feet. "Go clean yourself up. Once you're finished with your shower, I expect you to go straight to the infirmary for your next injection. Am I clear?"

Stiles stared at Gerard with a blank expression. Gerard responded with a rough push towards the door.

Stiles nearly tripped from the force, but said nothing as he stumbled to the showers. Despite the numbness spreading throughout his body, he could still feel a dull throbbing, reminding him of the pain that would come when he could feel again.

He turned the shower on once he got to it, setting the temperature to nearly as hot as it could go. He felt mildly thankful that the showers here had better heat and water pressure than the ones in the hospital. That was one 'perk' of being a prisoner in the high security lab. Stiles reached out to touch the water, watching the blood wash off his hand and his skin turn pink from the heat.

Stiles let out a sigh and pulled away so he could undress and get in. He cringed and squeezed his eyes shut at the nearly painful sensation of the hot water hitting his skin and let out a shaky breath as he forced himself to stand in place until he body grew used to the heat.

He didn't know how much more of this he could take. They were making the tests as hard as they could with minimal space between them to recover. He stared at his reddened hands, focusing on them and not the blood circling the drain as it washed off of his body. Stiles wasn't sure how much he had left in him before he would snap. Was that the end goal? Did Gerard just want Stiles to break until he was little more than a puppet?

Once he was out of the shower, he found a fresh change of clothes waiting for him. Stiles frowned at the neat stack but begrudgingly pulled them on once he had dried himself off.

This time, once he arrived at the infirmary, he found Jennifer waiting for him. Stiles stopped in the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest. He scowled at her, not wanting to deal with her. On a list of people he never wanted to see again, she ranked in the top ten.

Jennifer nearly rolled her eyes at his expression but instead motioned to the examination table. "Take a seat."

"Or what?" He knew it was stupid, but he couldn't help but challenge her. He detested this woman that had tried everything to cause a rift between him and Derek.

"I can press a button and you're thrown in a tiny dark room with the hallucinogenic serum in your system. Either you can take a seat and get this over with, or you can go through the difficult scenario. I don't want to have to do any of that, but I'll leave it up to you." Jennifer shot back. Stiles wanted to wipe her pitiful expression off of her face but instead took a seat on the table. "Put your arm out for me." Stiles did what he was told and looked away as she laced a tourniquet around his upper arm.

"What's your goal here?" Stiles asked, keeping his gaze on a tile on the floor so he didn't have to look at her. In the edge of his peripheral vision, he could see her pick up a wider needle so she could draw his blood. Stiles closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, waiting for the familiar prick in his arm before he exhaled again. Even after all these years of constantly being poked and prodded with needles, he still couldn't look at them when they were first going in.

"It's interesting that your fear of needles never went away." She pointed out, noticing his wariness.

"You say that like you've been watching me for a long time." Stiles stated, keeping his eyes closed as he tried to stay relaxed.

Jennifer filled a couple vials with his blood, setting them on an steel tray once each had been filled. "I haven't been in this specific location since the beginning, but I've worked here long enough."

"Then you wouldn't mind answering a couple questions for me, right?" asked Stiles as he finally looked at her again. "I'd say you owe me that much, at the very least."

Jennifer matched his blank expression and didn't say anything at first. She then let out a soft sigh of resignation and carried on with her work. "What do you want to know?"

Stiles wasn't sure where to start. When he thought of a question, he drummed his fingertips on his thigh. "Why children with night terrors? Why were we chosen?"

"Gerard was intrigued by what the human mind is capable of when it's resting. Namely, those with intuition or ones that cause feelings of Deja Vu. At first, his idea was to see how far it could be taken, and if he could find a way to see into the future. I'm not really sure what his end goal at the time was, but he began testing children with night terrors. Mostly their intelligence and their endurance. The ones that passed the test were taken in any possible way. Some parents let Gerard pay them off and sold their child. Others just never saw their children again." Stiles cringed at the thought.

"Do you agree with Gerard's work? With the things he's done?"

Jennifer pursed her lips together as she looked up at Stiles and met his stare. Stiles was surprised to see remorse in her expression. "No."

Stiles frowned in confusion, not expecting that answer. "Then why? Why would you work with him? Why would you continue this?"

"Because it's the only way I can ensure that Kali survives." Jennifer sighed at the confusion on Stiles' face and scooted back on her chair so she could grab something out of a drawer and roll back over to him. "You don't remember? I suppose it's not surprising that they'd wipe your memory to help with the experiment. Kali used to work here several years ago, and so did Ennis."

Stiles felt his heart beat a little faster as her words once he began to connect the dots. "That's how Ennis knew about my outburst." Everything seemed to be connected. It made him wonder just how much of his life here was orchestrated as an experiment. He felt little more than a broken puppet and he wasn't even sure how much longer he'd have until Gerard was finished playing with him.

"That's right. There were several groups of guards, Kali and Ennis ran one closer to the patients once they began showing signs of incredible power. They were part of the group that stayed closest to the children or the first Feral patients we had developed. They were the ones trusted to protect the deepest Eichen secrets. Ennis was there when you lashed out."

Stiles nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. "What happened to them?" 

Jennifer shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer that question. "Gerard had other plans for the two of them. I believe he wanted to see how strong and loyal he could make them, so he changed them. Can you tilt your head back for me?"

Derek had mentioned that he had arrested Ennis and Kali at one point, perhaps that was one way that they had found him. Knowing Gerard, it had to have been a test of some sort. Whatever it had been, Derek had his life ruined because of Stiles.

Stiles pursed his lips together but did as he was asked. Jennifer held a device up against a special area of his shock collar and unlocked it with a click. She took it off as gently as she could and set it aside so she could check the discolored skin beneath. She then picked up the small bottle and clicked it open so she could could put some ointment on his neck. Stiles relaxed at the soothing feeling of the cool gel on his bruised and burned skin and let out a sigh of relief.

"Have you seen Lydia since she's been here?" Stiles asked.

Jennifer nodded. "She's okay. You're both very stubborn."

Stiles sighed in relief at her words, thankful that Lydia wasn't suffering the way he was. "Sounds about right. Are we almost finished? I want to try to get some sleep." He resisted the urge to touch his throat and irritate the bruised skin any further. He'd suffered enough pain for one day.

"Just about." She replied, grabbing two more shots. Stiles sighed and closed his eyes.

"Are you an experiment? How were you able to manipulate Derek the way you did?"

"That's part of the project Dr. Deucalion and I have been working on. Manipulation and indoctrination are two other things that Gerard has an interest in, so that's a thing I'm one of the head of. I don't have any powers myself, but using some of what we've already taken, I was able to use it against Derek. It's not as potent as the subject's powers, but it worked just enough. I do regret the lengths we had to go through to isolate you from him."

"If you're really sorry about it, you won't stand in the way if my friends come for me again." Stiles whispered. "If you want out of this, that's the only way out where you'd have a better shot of surviving."

Jennifer sighed as she tossed the emptied syringes into the hazardous waste bin. "I won't stop you if it happens. If they come, I'll get Kali out during the confusion. That will be one less obstacle in your way and you have my word on that. If it backfires, I will deny any knowledge of the attack."

Stiles didn't mind her idea of self-preservation. Sometimes it became the only way to survive in here and he couldn't fault her. "I understand." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I appreciate the help, but I just want you to know that I still don't like you."

Jennifer laughed and shook her head. "I don't blame you." She responded, picking the shock collar up and gingerly placing it back around his neck once the ointment had enough time to set.

 

Once she was finished with watching over him to make sure there wasn't any odd reactions to the shots, Stiles was free to go back to his room. He felt thankful for the distraction of the conversation that they'd had, it kept his mind busy on something. It even made him feel a little more hopeful. Despite hating the idea of his friends coming for him, it gave him hope. Maybe they would all make it out of here if they were careful. This time, they could fight harder and make sure Gerard didn't come looking for them ever again.

Stiles made it to his room and ignored the lunch waiting for him in favor of easing himself on his bed. His aches and pains were finally starting to kick in and it made him just want to be off his feet for a while.

Stiles barely remembered his head hitting the pillow before he fell asleep. Once he was awake again, he rubbed at his eyes and sat up as slowly as he could. He hissed in pain at the pain that spiked up when he moved too much and gripped at his bedding. He closed his eyes and tried to will the ache deep in his bones to subside.

Once it was more bearable, he stood and stretched his arms as best as he could.

He head the door open as he stretched and let out a sigh. "What?"

"We have one last test for you, Killer." Stiles clenched his teeth at the sound of Ennis' voice.

"Oh, yay." He stated, lowering his arms and facing him. "Please tell me you aren't involved in it in any way."

Ennis chuckle and smirked at him. "You're not ready enough to face me in a real fight. I'd love to personally be the one to break you, but that's not what Gerard has in store for you today."

Stiles rolled his eyes as he followed Ennis out of the room. He longed for the chance to wipe that sadistic smirk right off of his face. Knowing better than to annoy Ennis, however, he stayed quiet and a couple feet away from him so he'd be out of reach. He didn't trust Ennis not to try grabbing or hitting him if he somehow managed to piss him off.

Arriving at the testing room without any altercations felt like no small feat, but once the door opened, Ennis motioned for Stiles to enter and took a step back. Stiles entered the room and sighed at the sight of Gerard waiting for him at a table.

"How are you feeling? Any abnormalities?"

Stiles shrugged as he sat across from him. "I'm not vomiting anymore. I still am sore, and exhausted."

Gerard nodded and typed his notes down on a tablet. Stiles stared at a syringe on the table and the red liquid inside. "Do you have an appetite?"

"No, but I don't think it's from the medication."

"Stress then." 

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I might be a _little_ stressed, though I can't see why." He commented, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

Gerard's lips twitched in a brief smile. "I can see you're still just a strong willed as ever. That's good."

Stiles shrugged in response. "I don't break that easy," he began, brushing his fingers over a bandage on his arm as he stared down at it. He didn't want to mention how close he was to falling apart. "Despite your efforts, I'm still fighting."

"That brings me to my next subject. You promised that you would cooperate. Are you going to follow through with that?"

"If you follow through with my demands." Stiles shot back.

Gerard nodded and set the tablet aside. "Hold your arm out."

Stiles frowned but did as he was told. He winced at the feeling of the needle entering his arm and closed his eyes as Gerard injected him. Once the needle was out, he opened his eyes again and let out a pent up breath.

"We'll see if you keep your word. If you want me to give you what you want, you're going to have to prove that you'll follow orders."

"I'll do what you want."

Gerard nodded and stood up, picking up his tablet and motioning for Stiles to follow him. Stiles briefly hesitated but followed after him. They walked down the hallway in silence until reaching one of the testing rooms at the end. Gerard tapped a few keys on the touch pad outside the door and watched as a screen lifted up on the window so they could see inside.

"Tell me what you see."

Stiles stepped closer and swallowed hard. "There's a man in there. He's Feral." He stared at the man chained to the wall by his wrists. The man snapped his jaws and thrashed his wrists as best as he could in an attempt to get free.

Gerard looked between Stiles and the patient before he nodded and typed on his tablet again. Gerard tapped another button and shut the screen. "You're going to fight him."

Stiles closed his eyes and exhaled slowly through his nose. He didn't want to kill anymore. "Okay." His voice was barely above a whisper.

Gerard opened the door and stepped back so Stiles could go inside. Once Stiles was in the room, the door shut and he heard a clicking noise. The patient's wrists were freed from the wall and he wasted no time running at Stiles. Stiles jumped out of the way and cringed at the loud smacking noise of the man running straight into the wall. The man turned towards Stiles, growling as blood trickled from his nose.

He rushed at Stiles again and this time grabbed him, digging his nails into Stiles' arms. Stiles shoved hard at him and hissed in pain as his nails scratched deep marks in his skin. He looked around the room frantically for any weapon he could use, but saw nothing. He'd have to use his bare hands for this.

When the Feral man ran at Stiles, Stiles decked him in the face and sent him stumbling back. The man rolled his jaw before screeching at Stiles in rage. Saliva and blood dropped from his mouth as he snapped his jaws before he charged at Stiles again.

The man got Stiles down on his back and grabbed his face before slamming it back against the floor. Stiles' vision flashed white from the hit and it left him disoriented. He felt the white hot pain of teeth sinking into his shoulder and yelled in pain. Stiles tried shoving him off, but his wrists were pinned down so he couldn't fight.

 _Oh shit, oh shit. He's not letting up._ Stiles felt his panic rise as he fought harder to try and free himself. His efforts only caused the Feral man to dig his nails deep into Stiles already injured wrists.

The man sat up and yelled in triumph, ready to sink his teeth into the flesh of Stiles' throat for a finishing kill.

A sudden calm overcame Stiles and timed seemed to slow as he exhaled a deep breath.

_CRACK!_

The man's head twisted sharply to the side and he slumped over Stiles as the life quickly faded from him. Stiles quickly shoved the body off of him and sat up.

"I passed." Stiles whispered, rubbing his wrists and sighing.

"Incredible. The serum was a success." Gerard's voice came through the speakers on the wall. "You never once noticed it, did you?"

"Noticed what?" Stiles asked, frowning in confusion.

He looked around for what he was supposed to notice before finally looking at the body beside him.

Stiles froze in place, his eyes wide in terror. He began to hyperventilate and felt the room spin around him. His skin felt too tight, his heart felt like it would slam through his chest.

Lyla's body was lifeless beside him, a calm expression on her face as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Y-You made me kill an innocent woman." Stiles felt saliva pool in his mouth. He was going to vomit.

"She wasn't an innocent, she was helping you." Stiles swallowed down the bile and looked up at Theo. Theo stood in the doorway, a smirk on his face. "She thought she could save you and set you free. That was the biggest mistake anyone can make. You don't deserve freedom."

"Why the fuck do you hate me? I never did anything to you! We both suffered here!"

Theo's expression clouded with rage and he rushed at Stiles. He slammed his foot into Stiles' ribs and knocked him over. He stood over Stiles and pinned him with his foot as he watched Stiles gasp for air. "You know nothing about what happened! I grew up hating you, and you know why? You were always the perfect subject, the perfect child! We were always compared to you! No one was ever as good as 192! And you know what they did? They tortured us with everything they had, because they didn't want to risk pushing you too far! We all hated you."

Stiles' vision blurred and he realized he was crying. From pain, from sorrow, from the hollow realization that he was more alone than he had ever thought. The only people that could ever know exactly what he had gone through hated him? They blamed him for everything that happened to them all?

_I want to die._

Theo's sadistic laughter made him realize that he had said it out loud. "You're not going to die until we're finished with you. Besides, don't feel so guilty, Stiles. Take a close look at your friend's eyes. She wasn't exactly feeling herself when she died."

Stiles forced himself to look at her, trying to see passed the sweet woman that had tried her best to help him in any way she could. There was a red ring around her irises, the same ring that all the feral patients had. "But she...She was okay earlier."

"I may or may not have swapped her medication for a stronger dosage. It's insane to see how they turn. You should really see it some time." Theo proudly proclaimed as he stepped away from Stiles.

The lack of remorse in his voice had Stiles on his feet and running at him. Stiles' enraged scream turned into one of pain as a shock wracked through his body and sent him to the ground.

He panted heavily and glared up at Theo as he held onto his collar.

Theo opened his mouth to speak by Gerard stepped in. "That's enough, Theo. Despite the test being a success, you will still be punished for acting on your own."

"But I was just giving you what you wanted," Theo protested, pointing accusingly at Stiles before continuing, "it's his fault I stepped in in the first place! Everything is his fault."

Stiles recoiled at his words and lowered his gaze. _He's right, everything is my fault. Everyone has been hurt because of me. Everything is my fault._

_I don't deserve to be saved, I don't even deserve to exist._

Gerard snapped his fingers in front of Stiles' face and Stiles realized Gerard had been talking to him.

"I asked you a question, Stiles. Are you going to behave for us? Are you going to give in?"

Stiles first looked over at Lyla's body and then down at his hands.

_Everything would be better for everyone if I had never existed._

"Yes."


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for taking so long with this chapter, I have no excuses for taking as long as I did. Thank you so much for being patient with me and for sticking with me. We're almost to the end!

Back at the safe house, Derek was anxious. Anxious and aggravated. Preparations were important, of course, but it made him feel useless. The only way he could speak to Stiles was apparently through their dreams, and even then he had no idea when the next opportunity for that would arise.

The agitation over time made Derek bite at the skin on his lips until he'd catch the faint coppery taste of his blood. He felt like the longer the waited, the worse everything would be for Stiles. He wasn't in good shape the last time they spoke, and he didn't know what Gerard had planned for Stiles. Derek spent most of his time in the armory, loading their bags of weapons or practicing in the training room. Anything to keep himself busy helped immensely.

Once Aeron had the blueprints of the building downloaded, Chris called a meeting for everyone so they could plan out their attack.

"These are the layouts of the floors we'll have to pass in order to get in." Chris started, tapping at his tablet until it brought the first floor up on the screen. "There are two entrances in the building. The first strike team will take this one," he paused to circle one of the entrances and then the other on the opposite side of the building. "The second team will take this one. A and I will go here with Erica and Boyd to take down the cameras and security systems." He changed images to the second floor and circled a room at the end of the hall.

"By disabling the security measures, we will buy you about twenty minutes, half an hour at most. That should be enough time to get to Stiles and Lydia. The only place we believe they would be is up here in this area." Chris changed to the fifth floor and circled around the middle of the floor. "These are the highest security testing wards. Only top secret projects are housed here."

"What happens if it takes longer than half an hour to find them?" Scott asked, leaning forwards in his chair.

"That's how long it will take to reroute the cameras and bring them back up. We want to get it done before then, so they don't know our movements. After that, it will be a lot harder to get anywhere. Once we have everything we need, I'm destroying the building." Aeron replied. "We will be placing charges throughout the first few floors. Braeden is going to put some on the fourth floor, and I'm going to detonate them when we're finished. I would prefer to do it once we're all out safe, but if we have no other choice, they will be set off before then. I also have EMP disruptors that will be used if necessary. We are going in under the guise of new security squads. Peter and I have forged documents and I've made a keycard for each of you. This will allow us to get close to the restricted area and by disabling the automated locks on the floor, you'll be able to get in through the stairwell.

After the meeting had finished, everyone worked on loading up the cars and the groups were on the road just over an hour later.

Derek sat in the passenger seat of one of the vans, biting at his thumbnail as he stared out the window. He bounced his leg to work off some of the excess anxious energy while he thought about what they might find at the facility.

What were they doing to Stiles? Off and on, he could feel the faintness of his fear, tugging at the back of his mind. Every part of Derek wished he could comfort Stiles somehow and take his fears away, but that wouldn't be possible until they'd freed him and taken out any threats that would come after them.

Derek closed his eyes for a few minutes and tried to relax. When he opened his eyes again, he was alone in the van.

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked around for any sign of his team. The road was dark and empty, how long had he been asleep? He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep.

A street light came on several yards in front of the car and Derek recognized the figure beneath the lighting. He climbed out of the car, realizing what this was. Stiles was sleeping too. This was his chance to talk to him. Stiles was seated on the road, his knees pulled tight to his chest. He kept his face buried in them, mumbling to himself.

"Stiles!" Derek called out to him. Stiles tensed but didn't look up at him, instead he gripped himself tighter and stayed curled up.

Derek started walking towards him, almost ready to break out into a run, but stopped in his tracks when another figure appeared before his eyes. Another Stiles stood in front of him, keeping Derek several feet from the one on the ground.

"Stiles? What's going on?"

The Stiles in front of him gave him a wide smile and raised his eyebrows in amusement. "I'm sorry, but Stiles can't talk right now. He doesn't need any distractions right now."

Derek glared at the Stiles in front of him and tried to look at the other one. He didn't want to waste any time by talking to the vindictive one. "Stiles, can you hear me? We're coming for you now, just hold on a little longer for me!"

Stiles looked up at Derek with an empty look on his face, and Derek wasn't even sure if he'd heard what Derek had said. Meanwhile, the closer one's expression clouded with rage. "Don't you dare try coming for him. We don't need you, stay away from us or I'll kill you myself." He snarled and shoved hard at Derek.

Derek jolted awake at the contact, inhaling sharply as he looked around. He was still in the car and they seemed to be on the highway now.

"You okay? You were having a nightmare." Braeden piped up, pulling her hand away from him as she kept her eyes on the road.

"Yeah, it definitely felt like a nightmare." Derek mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sighing. He wondered if that was just a nightmare or if he had actually connected with Stiles. It felt as realistic as it did the last time, but it felt even more impossible than their last shared dream. Why was the other one so angry about Derek's plan to come free Stiles? It wasn't like Derek had any intention of stopping his goal of killing Gerard. Perhaps it was the possessiveness that he had towards the real Stiles. Derek sighed and put his head in his hands as he tried to think.

If that was really a connected dream, then Stiles really was in bad shape. There was no telling how long he'd be able to keep it together, or how far gone he already might be.

Derek shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts and looked up at the road instead so he could focus on that.

The group stopped in the parking lot of a warehouse when the clock on the car's radio flashed that it was nine in the evening. Chris and A were the first two out of the cars so they could get the warehouse opened. Derek followed them afterwards and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the black vans inside.

"What are we going to be using these for?" Scott asked curiously as he entered the warehouse.

"This is how we'll be getting inside the base. In the morning, we'll put on their uniforms and get inside easier. I'm going to go in first, and then the rest of you will come in after us." Chris explained. "If anything goes wrong after that, we'll let you know."

"If there is no saving your friends and our entire plan is blown, I am blowing the place up." A spoke up, looking between everyone. "Obviously we're going to try to do what we can, but I have no intentions of letting Gerard win with all of us dying for nothing. The least we can do is take this place down."

Derek really didn't like the idea of the place being blown up before he could find Stiles, but if that was their last resort, then he couldn't fault the plan. "Fine, but that's our last resort."

A nodded and stepped back so he could turn and go head into the office.

"We will be leaving first thing in the morning." Chris added. "We'll rest up for now and leave at dawn."

\------

Derek barely got any sleep that night. He had a mixture of anxiety, excitement, and fear swirling around in his mind and keeping it racing with thoughts. Endless scenarios increased his anxiety until it squeezed at his chest.

What were they walking into? What kind of condition would Stiles be in? What if they were too late and they wouldn't be able to get him out? Was Lydia okay? What kind of tests were they running on the two of them?

Those questions echoed in his mind until he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. Derek's sleep was dreamless and came to a stop when he felt a shooting pain in his chest.

The pain had Derek shooting up and clutching at his chest as he gasped for air. He couldn't pinpoint where the pain came from, just that it was there. As quickly as the pain had started, it was gone and he felt a faint rush of fear. It was that foreign fear, the fear that came from Stiles.

Stiles was in pain and some of it had transferred through the bond. Derek was on his feet in seconds and shoving his shoes back on. Every part of him was screaming to run towards Stiles. The sensation of the protective urge coursing through his mind was nearly dizzying with the intensity of it.

"Derek? What's wrong?" Chris asked, already awake and loading the trucks.

Derek's breath still came out in short pants as he looked around. His words even came out rushed. "We need to go. They're doing something to Stiles, and I don't think he has much time."

Chris didn't ask any further questions and set the duffle bag of weapons and ammunition in the back of the bag. He then stepped away to wake everyone else up. The uneasiness Derek felt didn't fade when they left the warehouse, it only increased and made him feel more panicked. What were they doing to Stiles? Was he okay? Derek longed to tell him to hang on just a little longer. He wished that he could take him in his arms now and take his pain and terror away.

Derek tapped his fingers on his thigh in irritation as he did everything he could not to think of the endless possibilities of what was to come. What if it was a trap? What if they couldn't get to Stiles? What if Stiles dies before they can save him? What if he's beyond saving?

Derek squeezed his eyes shut tightly and clenched his jaw. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a large white room.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Derek glanced around the room before finally around. He inhaled sharply at the sight of Stiles crumbled on the ground, his back to Derek. Derek rushed over to him, crouching down and looking him over.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Derek gave him a gentle shake in an attempt to see if he was conscious. "Stiles? Can you hear me?"

Stiles opened his eyes and looked up at Derek, blinking slowly before realization appeared on his face. He hugged Derek and buried his face in his shoulder. Derek could feel him shaking.

"I'm here, I've got you. It's going to be okay." He whispered to Stiles.

Stiles shook his head and let out a shaky breath. As Derek rubbed his back, he started to feel a wet spot forming through Stiles' shirt. He pulled his hand away to look at it, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of blood coating his palm. "Stiles?" He asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Stiles leaned back and offered Derek a sad smile, blood dripping from his lips. Derek could see the blood seeping through his shirt in the front too. Derek cradled him in his arms, feeling his own body start to shake now. "Hey, I've got you. I'm here."

Stiles shook his head and closed his eyes, gripping Derek's shirt with bloody fingers. _"I think I'm dying."_

Derek's eyes snapped open as he jolted in his seat. He looked around in a panic until he realized he was in the back of the van again.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked in concern. "You look really pale."

Derek shook his head quickly and closed his eyes again as he put his head in his hands. "No, I'm not okay. I just want to get to Stiles."

Scott nodded sympathetically. "Me too, I can understand a little bit of how hard it is. Stiles and I had been best friends for six years when he vanished. One day we were playing, and the next day, he was gone. All I knew was that he was taken, but his parents never gave up on him. I spent every day wondering if he was coming back, and when I was old enough, I started helping John plan how we could find out what happened to him. And it just feels like..." Scott trailed off and sighed before continuing, "I just got my best friend back, and they took him away again."

Derek nodded and ignored the uneasiness the nightmare set in him again. "I just want to bring him back to his family, and for him to be free."

Scott nodded in agreement. "We'll save our friends, and we'll do what needs to be done to prevent Gerard from doing this again."

"I'm going to put a bullet in his head for the things that he's done." Derek promised. A man that dangerous should never be allowed to live. Derek couldn't image how many families Gerard separated, or how many lives he had destroyed.

\------

When their van pulled up to the checkpoint, Braeden showed her security badge and had it scanned by the guard posted there. Derek gripped his gun in his holster as he waited for it to be approved, holding his breath.

The guard glanced up from the screen to Braeden's face before nodding and handing her badge back. "Alright, Miss Reynolds, have a good shift." He smiled, pushing the button to open the gates.

Derek finally let out his pent up breath and leaned back. First step was finished, now they just had about a thousand more obstacles ahead of them. Braeden found a parking spot and entered it, giving everyone the chance to finish their final preparations.

Derek followed Malia and Scott out of the car, giving one long look at the massive building as they walked towards it.

"This is it, we're actually doing this." Scott murmured, adjusting the assault rifle slung over his shoulder.

Derek nodded with a grim expression on his face. "I know we can do this, we have to. Not for just our friends, but for everyone else they've harmed."

The rest of the walk was silent. When they reached the doors, Derek scanned his card and heard the door unlock as it was approved. The door slid open and Derek led the way inside, remembering the floor plan that Chris had laid out for them.

As they entered the main floor, Derek glanced up at a camera in the corner of the wall near the door to the stairwell they needed to be near. The camera made a slow nodding motion, just like it had at the safe house. Derek knew then that Chris' group was in place and they were ready.

Within seconds, the lights shut off and the emergency ones turned on. Derek counted out the seconds in his mind until the locks to the door clicked open. He quickly pulled the door open and rushed up the stairs, counting the floors. They needed to get to the fourth floor, that's where Stiles and Lydia were.

They made it to the third floor and left the stairwell so they could get to the fourth floor's access point. To get to the access point, they had to get through another door and make it through a chamber. Derek pulled open the door to the access chamber and headed in. Once they were all in, the door slammed shut behind them.

"That's okay, that's normal." Braeden piped up, noticing Malia jump.

The lights came on and a loud buzzing noise started up. "That's not!" Malia snapped back.

A white fog began seeping through the chamber and Derek felt his head spin before he collapsed. His mind went black after that.

 

 

"Alright, Mr. Hale, your session is finished." A female voice spoke up.

Derek opened his eyes and sat up. With a frown, he took a look around the room. He was in a therapy room, but through the window he could see people walking around outside and cars driving. The scenery looked so familiar, it took a few seconds to realize where he was. He was back in Beacon Hills. 

Derek reached up and brushed his fingers against the dream recording monitor attached to his head. What the hell? Why was he here? "Where's Stiles?"

The doctor looked back at him in confusion. "Stiles?" She asked before her face softened. "Oh...That must have been what you were dreaming of."

"I need to find Stiles." Derek mumbled, shaking his head. This felt weird, this felt wrong. "Why am I here?"

"You're here for your weekly session, remember?" Derek frowned, trying to place the memory.

"Weekly session? Why?" He removed the patches and set it on the table before trying to stand.

The doctor stood and placed a hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him to sit down. "Don't try to move yet, we did another really deep session. You need time to let your mind settle."

"Why am I here? Where is Stiles?" Derek questioned.

The doctor sighed and took her seat again. "We've been doing weekly sessions for months, as requested by both the hospital and by Sheriff Stilinski. You're here because you suffered a mental breakdown induced by emotional trauma."

"Trauma?" Derek's eyes widened a little. Was his family okay? What was going on? "What trauma?"

The doctor glanced at her folder and bit her lip. "It started nearly a year ago. Your fiancé went missing, and you were on the search team. You blamed yourself for the disappearance and searched everywhere, to the point of exhaustion. It wasn't your fault, Derek."

"What wasn't my fault?"

The doctor didn't answer at first. "Stiles was already dead when you found him."

Derek's mind reeled as images flashed through his mind. Finding Stiles in the woods, his body pale and ice cold. His eyes were closed and his clothes were stained with blood. Someone had abducted him and murdered him.

"No..." Derek's voice came out strained. "No that's...I've been trying to save him. I can save him." He finished, trying to sound a little more firm.

The doctor shook her head and offered him an empathetic smile. "It wasn't your fault, Derek. You had a breakdown because you couldn't handle it. You did everything you could, but it wasn't your fault. No one could have saved him."

"That's not true! I can save him!" Derek felt desperate, like he needed something cling to. Stiles wasn't dead, Stiles was alive. He was here to save Stiles, he was trying to get to him.

"In our sessions, you've been seeing Stiles a lot. You've been so focused on saving him, and trying to bring him back that in your dreams, you created a whole new scenario. You created this fantasy that Eichen had taken Stiles and that Stiles had powers such as telekinesis and precognition. You created that in your mind because it made Stiles stronger, because you wanted him to have been able to save himself. Stiles keeps getting taken in your dreams, because you're trying to make yourself strong enough to handle really losing him when you've come back to reality."

"No, he was there, he was real. Stiles is alive, but I need to save him. He's in trouble and I need to save him." Derek felt his hands shake. Stiles had died scared and alone and Derek wasn't there for him. No, that wasn't right. That couldn't be right. Stiles was still alive. "He's still alive." Derek had to find him, had to make sure that he was okay.

"I'm sorry, Derek, but he's gone. I'm here to help you let go of the blame you've placed on yourself. It's okay to mourn him, but you can't let this pain consume you entirely. Stiles wouldn't want you to blame yourself this much. He'd want you to let him go. Gerard won't give him back to you."

Derek felt the panic and sorrow coursing through his body come to a screeching halt at her last sentence. "What did you just say?" He asked in a voice barely above a whisper. 

"I said that he would want you to let him go, that someday you'll see him again." The doctor replied.

Derek shook his head. "No, that's not what you just said. You said Gerard won't give him back to me. This isn't real. Whatever this is, this isn't real and Stiles is still alive." Derek quickly got to his feet and rushed towards the door leading out of the office. The movement felt heavy, as if most of the energy had been drained from his body. He pushed through and grabbed the doorknob as his heart pounded wildly in his chest. He needed to find Stiles. Stiles was alive and he needed Derek.

"Derek, no! Don't do that, it's not going to help anything! Let him go!"

Derek pulled the door open and white light enveloped him. It was so bright he had to shut his eyes.

 

 

"Derek! Derek, can you hear me?" When he opened his eyes again, Braeden was standing over him. She sighed in relief and offered him her hand, which he accepted. He carefully stood and rubbed the side of his head.

"What happened?"

"They were trying to get into your head and brainwash you into giving in. They probably wanted to try rewiring your brain. I woke up right as they were about to start on me." She mumbled and looked around at the other pods in the room. "The grogginess should wear off in a few minutes, but we have another problem."

Derek leaned back against the pod as he tried to get his mind back on track. That simulation felt way too fucking real. "What's the problem?"

"Scott and Malia were taken too and they aren't on this floor. We can try splitting up so you can go find Stiles, but I'm not sure how I feel about sending you in there alone."

Derek sighed and shook his head. "As much as I want to run and find him, it's not a good idea to split up like this. We need to go find the others."

Braeden nodded in agreement. "Let me know when you're ready and we'll head out."

Derek gave himself another minute before leading the way out. "Do you know how long I was out?"

"Not long. Maybe twenty minutes, half an hour tops."

Derek cursed and walked faster. "We don't have much longer. If they took Scott and Malia, they're more than likely on the next floor. We'll go there first and see what we can find."

Braeden nodded in agreement and reloaded her gun as they walked. Derek glanced at her weapon before looking straight ahead again. "You've run into guards?"

"Only a few. I managed to get one of these too." She pat the walkie talkie holstered on her hip and shot him a proud smirk.

"Good, have you heard anything from them yet?"

"There was a mention that there was something going on upstairs, but other than that, not much."

Derek nodded but didn't say anything else. They soon made it back to the access point and Braeden sighed when she saw the stairwell door ajar.

"Does this feel like a trap to you?" She asked, glancing back at Derek.

Derek nodded and cocked his gun. "Yeah, but we're not going to make it easy for them." He stated as he did a final double check of his weapons. He still had his ammo, still had the knife and pistol holstered on his belt. They didn't take Derek's weapons away when they had captured him, which only meant one thing.

They wanted a fight.

Braeden grabbed the door handle, casting one last look at Derek. Derek nodded as he raised his assault rifle. Braeden nodded in turn and swung the door open, taking a brief moment to make sure that no one was going to jump out at them before she led the ascent up the stairs.

At the end of the other door was a large empty room with a locked door on the other side. This must have been the other checkpoint to make sure none of the patients escaped. Once Derek and Braeden entered the room, the door behind them slammed shut.

Derek clenched his jaw and gripped his gun in anticipation. Were they going to get gassed again? He quickly scanned the room, looking for anywhere that could open up and release the smoke.

The white lighting in the room went off, filling the room with darkness before the lights came on again in red. The door on the other side opened and several guards rushed in, guns in hand.

"I have to commend you and your friends for getting this far, Derek. Unfortunately, this is where it will end." Gerard's voice came through the speakers on the ceiling.

Derek grit his teeth, quickly trying to formulate a plan. Two against six, the odds weren't looking good. "You need to stop underestimating us. We came for Stiles and Lydia, and we aren't leaving without them."

"Your loyalty and determination are commendable, I knew we made the right decision in choosing you. I think you deserve a prize for all of your hard work. I'll tell you what, if you can get past these guards, I'll let you get to Stiles with minimal stops. Good luck."

The intercom cut out with a click and Derek focused on the guards again. He took a step forwards but was quickly stopped by a searing pain in his chest. The pain was excruciating and had him doubled over on the ground. He pressed his hand over his chest, panting as the room spun around him.

"Derek!" He heard Braeden shout, but her voice sounded distant. All he could feel was the pain coursing through his body, pain from Stiles. His vision spotted black from the pain and it grew so intense that he feared he would pass out.

He heard screaming but soon realized that it was coming from himself. Suddenly, like a rubber band stretched too far, the bond snapped. The pain vanished in an instant and was filled instead with a horrific realization.

The bond was broken. Derek could think of only one thing that meant.

Stiles was dead.

A blind fury rushed through him and Derek felt himself giving into the resulting rage. He lunged at the guards, shooting into their chests.

The bullets pierced through them and blood splattered across the white walls behind them. Derek realized then that they weren't wearing body armor. Derek began fighting harder, getting his knife out of its sheath and he began blindly slicing.

They weren't fighting back. The guards stood there and let it happen. Derek couldn't stop himself, he couldn't control the feral rage. Finally, the last guard grabbed Derek by the wrists, slamming his hand to the wall until he dropped the knife. Derek quickly grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall, disorienting him so he could throw him to the ground. Derek grabbed the guard's assault rifle and began slamming the butt of it against the man's face. He didn't even cringe at the sickening crunch of bones breaking. He kept going even when blood splattered on his face, even when the man stopped moving.

"Derek." He felt a hand on his shoulder and lashed out, eyes widen with crazed rage.

Braeden stared at him with a soft expression, grabbing his hand when he tried to push her away. "Hey, it's okay. You can stop. You don't have to do anymore."

Derek felt the rage that had egged him on subside as he looked around at the carnage around him. He had done this...This had all been him. Derek's shoulders shook as he closed his eyes tightly. He felt like a monster.

He heard the clicking of the door open and quickly scrambled to his feet, keeping a hold of the gun as he shot one last look at Braeden. Braeden nodded in response. "Go, find him. I'll get the others." Derek bolted out the door without another word.

Stiles. Stiles. Stiles.

The desperation to see him weighed heavy on his chest.

_Please still be alive. Please be okay. I'm here. Please God, don't let me be too late._

A double door at the end of the hallway stood open and Derek rushed through it, stopping at the entrance. One the other side of the large room, Stiles stood near Ennis with his back to Derek.

Several bodies were strewn across the floor, some of them in pieces. Judging by the blood on Stiles' and the amount dripping from his fingers, he had done this.

Derek felt relieved to see him, but something felt wrong. With the snapped bond, he couldn't feel him and sense what he was feeling. If Stiles was in severe pain mere minutes ago, why did he seem okay now? He truly thought that Stiles had been killed.

"Stiles?" He asked in a choked off voice. He felt terrified.

Stiles looked up from the bodies and over at Derek, turning to face him. Stiles' expression was cold and empty.

Derek swallowed down his fear and took a step closer. "Stiles, I'm going to get you out of here."

Ennis let out a mocking laugh. "What makes you think he wants to leave?"

Stiles looked back at Ennis and cocked his head. Ennis' jaw promptly shut. "You're being rude to our guest, Ennis. Your mouth always was a problem. Maybe I should just permanently shut it for you." He said in a soft tone. Ennis actually looked terrified.

"Stiles? What's going on?" Stiles smiled and looked back at Derek.

"You were too late to save him. Remember what I told you? If you came for him, I'd kill you myself?"

Derek's eyes widened. This wasn't Stiles. This was the other one. The cruel one.

Stiles laughed and clapped his hands together in amusement. "This is going to be so much fun. You see, you were too late. Stiles gave up and let me have control. I mean, you must have felt the pain of your bond with Stiles being severed, correct? There was a reason for that. This is the final experiment. They want to see if you can fight me, but with this face, I don't believe you will."

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt Stiles."

Stiles laughed and shook his head. "You're so devoted to him. I nearly feel bad for you, but I already made a promise to him. I'd destroy everyone that hurt him, and anyone that got in my way."

"You don't want to do this. It's not too late. I can save Stiles, if you'd let me." Stiles' expression turned to one of rage. He lunged at Derek and grabbed him by the front of his uniform, slamming him up against the wall.

"You're too late. I will not let you get in my way." He hissed. "Fight me."

Derek shook his head. "No."

Stiles growled and struck Derek in the face. "Fight me."

Derek closed his eyes tighter at the pain. He took a breath through his nose and spat blood as he stared back at him. "No."

Stiles slammed his fist against the wall, inches from Derek's head. "Fight me!" When Derek shook his head, Stiles began hitting the wall again and again until his knuckles were red with blood.

Derek reached up and took Stiles' injured hand, running his thumb over the back of it in an attempt to comfort him. "You can fight this, Stiles. Please, wake up. Wake up for me. It's not too late."

Stiles' eyes widened. He slammed his knee into Derek's ribs and quickly threw him to the floor, pressing the heel of his palm to his temple. "Stop it!" He hissed. "You're going to ruin everything!"

Derek cringed as he propped himself up on his elbow. "Wake up, Stiles! It's not too late! We can stop this!"

Stiles let out an enraged shout and gave a swift kick to Derek's stomach. "Stop it!"

"Finish this, Stiles. He's going to undo everything Gerard worked for. Don't tell me you're still weak." A vicious expression spread across Stiles's face as he faced Ennis again.

"You're going to call me weak? You're going to tell me what to do?" He asked, taking slow steps over to him. Ennis suddenly slammed back against the wall. When his feet lifted off of the ground, Derek realized Stiles was using his powers. "You forget who is in control here."

"Stiles, don't." Derek gasped out. He didn't want Stiles to have to go down that path, even if this wasn't currently the Stiles he had come to love. Derek was shoved back against the wall by an invisible force, his hands pinned at his sides.

"Why not?" Stiles asked, looking over his shoulder at Derek for a brief moment. "He's strangled me, he's beaten me, he's tortured me and spat in my face that I am a murderer. This body is covered in bruises and many come from him. It's only fair that I get him back." He hissed as he pulled Ennis away from the wall and slammed him back against it. Derek squeezed his eyes shut as Stiles continued to slam Ennis against the wall, harder and harder until all he could hear was a wet slapping noise.

Stiles started laughing as he dropped Ennis to the ground. "I will never be weak again." He whispered.

"Stiles...Stiles was never weak." Derek said softly, opening his eyes. He regretted it at the sight of the gory mess on the wall and averted his gaze.

Stiles giggled as he walked towards Derek again. "He was. He always was weak. His friends made him weak, his hope made him weak, _you_ made him weak."

"The only weak one here is you." Derek whispered. "Stiles was strong for holding on, he was strong for enduring everything. He was strong for holding onto his hope when he had no one at his side. All you can do is hide behind his powers."

"That hope caused him pain. He repressed and repressed his pain, and his sorrow, for so long. I was the _only_ one there for him. I will kill everyone that has ever hurt us and I will not let you stop me."

"We will kill Gerard, I promise you that. I will do whatever it takes. We will get rid of the people that have hurt you, but we can't do it this way. I need Stiles back. Please, give him back to me and we can work together."

Stiles shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. The hold on Derek faded and Derek pushed himself to his feet so he could take slow steps towards him. Stiles quickly threw his hand up between them and Derek cringed, expecting to be tossed back again.

"Stop. Don't come any closer. We don't need you. You're a liar. You're going to cause our death. I just...I just have to kill you and I'll be free. This is my last test. I'm almost done, I'm almost done."

"Gerard is never going to let you go free. If he said otherwise, he's lying to you."

"You're a liar!" Stiles shouted at him. "You've only ever been a distraction. All you've ever been is a puppet, just like us. If you're dead, we'll be free. I won't let you hold us back."

Derek took a step closer and took Stiles' hand, careful not to irritate his knuckles. Stiles tried to yank it away but Derek didn't let go. "Fight it. I know you've suffered for so long, but I need you to fight it for just a little longer. Please, Stiles, don't give in."

Stiles' eyes glazed over and he blinked in realization as the tears trickled down his bruised face. "I-I'm not...These aren't my tears." He whispered, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to wipe them away with his forearm. "Let me go. It's hopeless. You're not going to stop me, I need to get away."

"We'll get you out of this place." Derek promised him, taking him in his arms. "Just don't give in, this isn't you. Please just give me Stiles back."

Stiles rested his chin on Derek's shoulder and sniffled, resting his head on his shoulder. He tensed as he squeezed his eyes shut before he shoved Derek away, hard. "No! This is a test! I have to kill you or you're going to kill me." He shouted, grabbing something off of Derek's belt and raising his hand, swiping at him.

The knife cut through the fabric of the chest of his shirt as Derek jumped back. Stiles growled and rushed at him, swiping madly at him in the hopes of cutting him. He managed a cut on Derek's shoulder, but Derek didn't fight back.

"Fight back!" Stiles shouted, desperately. "If I don't kill you, you're going to kill me." The mask of rage on Stiles' face had cracked and Derek could see the terror in his eyes.

"You're going to have to kill me then, because I will never kill you. I love you, Stiles. Please remember that." Derek reached for Stiles again, but was shoved back towards the wall with Stiles' powers. Stiles quickly rushed at him, gripping him by the collar and raising the knife in his other hand. Derek closed his eyes and waited to feel the slice of the knife through the skin of his throat.

When it never came, he opened his eyes again. Stiles' eyes widened and he looked between Derek and the knife. He let out a horrified sob and dropped the knife, taking Derek in his arms as tight as he could.

"Oh my god, Derek, I'm so sorry." He whispered, burying his face in his neck. He sobbed as he held onto him for support.

Derek could feel foreign pain throb in his knuckles, the same hand Stiles had ripped up and let out a sharp gasp of relief. This was Stiles. This was _his_ Stiles. "Oh, thank god." He breathed, pulling away to cup Stiles' face and kiss him. He gingerly wiped Stiles' tears away and pressed soft kisses all over his face. Stiles shook in his arms and Derek found himself shaking in turn. He had honestly thought Stiles was dead and that had terrified him beyond belief.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Stiles repeated desperately. He tried to look back towards the gruesome scene behind him, but Derek stopped him.

"Don't look." Derek whispered, resting a hand on the back of his neck and kissing his forehead.

Stiles nodded and sniffled, closing his eyes as he let out a shaky breath. "Please get me out of here."

"You're not going anywhere." Derek tensed at the sound of Gerard's voice. He quickly turned towards the doorway and protectively moved Stiles behind him when he saw Gerard standing in the doorway.

Gerard looked enraged. "You were right, I did underestimate you. You're nothing more than a nuisance, and you're crazy if you really think that I'm going to let you take him anywhere. It's a shame, it was fun watching your bond with Stiles, while it lasted." Gerard raised his gun and pulled the trigger.

Derek braced himself for the sharp pain, but it never came. Gerard's eyes widened and he tried firing again. And again. And again. Nothing.

Stiles was using his powers to form a protective barrier around Derek by stopping the bullets in their tracks. Stiles let out a shaky breath and tried to blink away his disorientation. "I'm not going to let you kill him." He whispered. Derek realized that Stiles was reaching his limits, he was too tired.

"Stiles, stop. You've done enough." Derek told him.

Stiles shook his head and focused on expanding the shield around Derek. "I'm not...I'm not losing you. I just got you back." Stiles offered an exhausted smile as blood started to trickle from his nose.

Another gunshot rang out through the room, and once again, Derek didn't feel any pain. At first, he thought that Gerard was trying to break through Stiles' protection, until he heard the clinking of the other bullets hitting the floor. Derek looked back at Stiles and felt his blood run cold.

Stiles stared at Gerard in shock before lowering his gaze to where Gerard had shot him. Blood began seeping through his shirt, in the exact spot that Derek had seen time and time again in his dreams. Derek rushed to Stiles and took him in his arms as Stiles lost his footing. He kneeled on the ground, cradling him to his chest.

"No, no. It's okay, it's okay, I'm here." Derek uselessly tried to comfort him as Stiles stared up at him.

Gerard laughed outright. "There is something I've wondered. Have you ever noticed why Stiles never lashed out at me with his powers, despite having endless opportunities? Why he didn't just finish me off when he was protecting you? He has an implant that prevents him from ever harming me and it's kept him in his place. Unfortunately, that means losing our biggest project."

Derek swallowed hard as Stiles smiled tiredly and brushed his bloodied fingers against his cheek. He squeezed his eyes shut and rested his forehead against Stiles', lowering one of his arms. "He may not be able to hurt you, but I can." Derek whispered as he looked up at him again. In one swift movement, he quickly raised his pistol and shoot Gerard between the eyes.

He dropped the gun and pressed his hand to Stiles' chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Hey, it's okay, baby. I'm here. We're going to get you out of here."

Stiles shuddered and closed his eyes. "I think I'm dying." He whispered. 

Derek's eyes widened as he remembered the dreams he had been having. "No, don't say that. I'm not going to let you die here." Derek snapped, terrified that Stiles really was going to die in his arms.

Stiles opened his mouth to say something else before his eyes quickly widened. He squeezed his eyes shut and Derek heard the sound of bullets ringing through the air before they were stopped by Stiles' barrier again. Derek tried to move, but his body failed him. He was in shock. Stiles held his hand up, blinking slowly and struggling to stay conscious as more blood seeped out of his nose. He was pushing himself too far.

"You and your stupid fucking friends ruined everything!" Kate hissed at Derek, emptying her gun as she tried to find any weak spots. She tossed her gun to the ground in aggravation, getting a small remote out of her pocket and flipping a switch. Stiles gasped for breath as his body spasmed in pain.

Kate stormed over to them and rammed her knee into the side of Derek's head, making him black out for a second. She took the opportunity to yank Stiles out of his arms and toss him aside. "I should've killed you when I had the chance. All you've ever been since the beginning is a problem, I knew you were too dangerous." She hissed, taking out her pistol and cocking it. She smirked down at Derek as she pinned him with her boot. "I'm not going to make that mistake again, Sweetheart."

As she aimed the gun at Derek, another gun went off and Derek closed his eyes when blood splattered on his face. Kate crumbled to the floor alongside her father, a bullet through the head instantly ending her life.

Derek slowly pushed himself up on his elbows and looked towards the doorway as he tried to process everything that was happening. Peter stood in the doorway, a gun in his hand.

"I'm sorry that took so long, dear nephew." Peter spoke up, walking over to where Stiles was on his side. "This is bad. If we don't leave right now, he's not going to make it." He looked over at Derek before frowning. He walked over to him and snapped his fingers in his face, snapping Derek out of the trance he was in. "Derek, come on. We need to move, now. Braeden found the others. We're getting out of here."

Derek nodded numbly and moved to Stiles' side, taking him in his arms so he could lift him. Stiles opened his eyes and offered Derek a small smile. "It's going to be okay. I love you, Derek. I'm glad I got to see you again."

"Don't." Derek whispered, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. "Don't talk like this is the last time you're going to see me. We're going to get you help. I'm going to take you back to your family."

Stiles eyes widened a little before he nodded and closed his eyes. "Yeah." He whispered.

Derek followed Peter to the access point and down the hallway, keeping a close eye on how Stiles was doing and what his breathing was like. He wasn't doing good. His breathing was shallow and he was slipping in and out of consciousness. Derek realized that this was what the other Stiles had been talking about. If he didn't kill Derek, he would die? Derek tightened his grip on Stiles as he struggled to hold onto his hope. Stiles was bleeding out in Derek's arms, and Derek felt powerless. 

When they made it to the second floor, the floor vibrated below them as an explosion echoed through the halls. It looked like they had started setting off some of the bombs. By the sounds of it, it seemed like it was coming from the other side of the building, in the other wings. As they made it out to the parking lot, the rest of them started off, detonating in the upper floors. They had made it out just in time.

The others were waiting for them, looking worse for wear, but everyone was okay. Everyone made it.

"Stiles!" Lydia exclaimed, rushing over to them. Her face was pallid from exhaustion, but otherwise she was okay. At the sight of the Stiles' injury, her eyes widened and she looked up to Derek.

"Please, help him." That was all Derek managed to get out.

Lydia nodded and looked back to the others. "We need to go now. Erica told me that we took most of the medical supplies to the warehouse you all went to. We need to get him there right away."

Derek got into the back of one of the vans with Stiles and kept him close as Erica and Lydia tried to examine him. Erica had brought a lot of supplies with them, just in case something had happened. As they left the parking lot, Derek could hear the sounds of the final explosives detonating to finish destroying the building behind them.

Stiles held onto Derek's hand as Derek kept him propped up against his lap. "I'm scared." Stiles' voice cracked as he whispered.

Derek nodded and carded his fingers through his hair. "I know. I'm here, you're going to be okay. I promise. It's okay. If anyone can make it through this, it's you."

"Before I forget, I have something for my parents. I wrote them a letter. Please promise me you'll give it to them. I want them to get it, I want to tell them I'm sorry." Stiles whispered.

Derek shook his head. "You'll give it to them yourself. We're going to get you home."

Stiles closed his eyes and a tear trickled down his cheek. Derek took a slow breath and began to sing to him. He sang the same lullaby that Stiles had sung before.

_"Hush now, the night is coming,_  
_Hush now, the moon is calling._  
_Hush now, just close your eyes,_  
_I'll see you in the morning light."_

Stiles opened his eyes again and watched as Derek sang to him. Derek tried not to think about how much worse he was starting to look by the minute. He tried not to think about how it might be too late. He needed to make this pleasant for Stiles if this was going to be his final memory.

_"Fear not, I'm right beside you,_  
_Fear not, I'll never fail you_  
_Hush now, just dry your eyes,_  
_Do not fear the darkened skies.”_ Derek’s own eyes glazed over and a tear dropped onto Stiles’ cheek. Stiles smiled up at him, trying to reassure him with his expression.

_”Hear me, I'm right beside you,_  
_Hear me, I'm calling to you_  
_You know, I'll always love you_  
_You're always in my tender heart_  
_Nothing will ever keep us apart.”_ Derek’s voice cracked as he pushed himself to keep singing the words.

_”You know, I need you,_  
_Just like you need me,_  
_Just, close your eyes, darling,_  
_Breathe deep for me._

_Hush now, darling,_  
_Hush now, the stars are falling_  
_Hush now, my sweetheart,_  
_Hush now, for night is calling.”_

Derek’s lips trembled. He had to take a deep breath to keep himself from falling apart. All of his promises to Stiles of freedom were vanishing before his eyes.

_”I'll be here when you close your eyes,_  
_Will be here when you wake,_  
_Reach for me and I'll be near,_  
_My hand is yours to take._

___Close your eyes, my darling,_  
_Close your eyes and dream,_  
_Hush now, my dear dream without fear,_  
_Don't you worry, I'll always be here._

_You know, I need you,_  
_Just like you need me,_  
_Just, close your eyes, darling,_  
_And breathe deep for me._

_Breath deep for me."_

 

Stiles closed his eyes and exhaled.


End file.
